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CAMP  AND  TRAIL 


y    4 


From  a  painting  by  Fernand  Lunjjren 

The  Home  of  the  "Red  Gods" 


CAMP  AND  TRAIL 


BY 

STEWART   EDWARD   WHITE 

Author  of  *'The  Blazed  Trail,"  *«  The  Pass,"  etc. 


Frontispiece  in  color  by  Femand  Lungren 

and   many   other  illustrations 

from  photographs,  etc. 


Garden  City      New  York 

DOUBLEDAY,    PAGE    &    COMPANY 

1911 


0 


Copyright,  1906,  1907,  by 
THE   OUTING   PUBLISHING   COMPANY 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  England. 


All  rights  reserved. 


PREFACE 

mFTER  considerable  weighing  of  the 
Z_k  pros  and  cons  I  have  decided  to 
include  the  names  of  firms  where  cer- 
tain supplies  may  be  bought.  I  realize  that 
this  sort  of  free  advertisement  is  eminently 
unjust  to  other  worthy  houses  handling  the 
same  lines  of  goods,  but  the  case  is  one  of 
self-defense.  In  The  Forest  I  rashly  of- 
fered to  send  to  inquirers  the  name  of  the 
firm  making  a  certain  kind  of  tent.  At 
this  writing  I  have  received  and  answered 
over  eleven  hundred  inquiries.  Since  the 
publication  of  these  papers  in  The  Outing 
Magazine,  I  have  received  hundreds  of 
requests  for  information  as  to  where  this, 
that,  or  the  other  thing  may  be  had.  I  have 
tried  to  answer  them  all,  but  to  do  so  has 
been  a  tax  on  time  I  would  not  care  to 
repeat.    Therefore  I  shall  try  in  the  f ollow- 

vii 

256995 


PREFACE 

ing  pages  to  give  the  reader  all  the  practical 
information  I  possess,  even  though,  as 
stated,  I  may  seem  unduly  to  advertise  the 
certain  few  business  houses  with  which  I  have 
had  satisfactory  dealings.  It  is  needless  to 
remark  that  I  am  interested  in  none  of  these 
firms,  and  have  received  no  especial  favors 
from  them. 


VUl 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    The  Wilderness  Traveler      ...  3 

II    Common  Sense  in  the  Wilderness          .  23 

III    Personal  Equipment  .        .        .        .35 

IV    Personal  Equipment  {Continued)      .        .  63 

V    Camp  Outfit 79 

VI    The  Cook  Outfit 97 

VII    Grub 115 

VIII    Camp  Cookery 135 

IX    Horse  Outfits 149 

X     Horse  Packs 169 

XI    Horses,  Mules,  Burros    ....  203 

XII    Canoes 221 

Index 233 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  home  of  the  Red  Gods    .         ,         .     {Frontispiece) 

OPPOSITE 
PAGE 

On  the  trail  (from  a  painting  by  N.  C.  Wyeth)       .       16 

The  Author  doing  a  little  washing  on  his  own  account       32 

"  Mountain   on   mountain  towering   high,   and    a 

valley  in  between  " 48 

One  of  the  mishaps  to  be  expected  ...       64 

*'  Bed  in  the  bush  with  stars  to  see  "        .         .         .       80 

"  We  may  live  without  friends,  we  may  live  without 
books,  but  civiHzed  man  cannot  hve  without 
cooks" 104 


When  you  quit  the  trail  for  a  day's  rest 
In  the  heat  of  the  day's  struggle 
Nearing  a  crest  and  in  sight  of  game 

A  downward  journey 

In  midday  the  shade  of  the  pines  is  inviting  . 
Getting  ready  for  another  day  of  it 


120 
144 
160 
176 
208 
224 


THE   WILDERNESS   TRAVELER 


M 


CHAPTER   I 

THE  WILDERNESS  TRAVELER 

ANY  people  have  asked  me  what,    puaUfica- 


all  things  considered,  is  the  most 
valuable  quality  a  wilderness  trav- 
eler can  possess.  Always  I  have  replied 
unhesitatingly;  for  no  matter  how  useful  or 
desirable  such  attributes  as  patience,  cour- 
age, strength,  endurance,  good  nature,  and 
ingenuity,  may  prove  to  be,  undoubtedly  a 
man  with  them  but  without  the  sense  of 
direction,  is  practically  helpless  in  the  wilds. 
A  sense  of  direction,  therefore,  I  should 
name  as  the  prime  requisite  for  him  who 
would  become  a  true  woodsman,  depending 
on  himself  rather  than  on  guides.  The  fac- 
ulty is  largely  developed,  of  course,  by  much 
practice;  but  it  must  be  inborn.  Some  men 
possess  it;  others  do  not — just  as  some  men 
have  a  mathematical  bent  while  to  others 

3 


tion 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

figures  are  always  a  despair.  It  is  a  sort  of 
extra,  having  nothing  to  do  with  criterions 
of  intelligence  or  mental  development,  like 
the  repeater  movement  in  a  watch.  A 
highly  educated  or  cultured  man  may  lack 
it;  the  roughest  possess  it.  Some  who 
have  never  been  in  the  woods  or  mountains 
acquire  in  the  space  of  a  vacation  a  fair 
facility  at  picking  a  way;  and  I  have  met 
a  few  who  have  spent  their  lives  on  the 
prospect  trail,  and  who  were  still,  and  always 
The  Sense  would  be,  .  as  helpless  as  the  newest  city 
tion  dweller.    It  is  a  gift,  a  talent.    If  you  have 

its  germ,  you  can  become  a  traveler  of  the 
wide  and  lonely  places.  If  you  have  it  not, 
you  may  as  well  resign  yourself  to  guides. 

The  sense  of  direction  in  its  simplest  and 
most  efementary  phase,  of  course,  leads  a 
man  back  to  camp,  or  over  a  half- forgotten 
trail.  The  tenderfoot  finds  his  way  by  little 
landmarks,  and  an  attempt  to  remember 
details.  A  woodsman  adds  to  this  the  gen- 
eral "lay"  of  the  country,  the  direction  its 
streams  ought  to  flow,  the  course  the  hills 

4 


THE   WILDERNESS    TRAVELER 

must  take,  the  dip  of  strata,  the  growth  of  - 

trees.  So  if  the  tenderfoot  forgets  whether 
he  turns  to  right  or  left  at  a  certain  half- 
remembered  burnt  stub,  he  is  lost.  But  if 
at  the  same  point  the  woodsman's  memory 
fails  him,  he  turns  unhesitatingly  to  the  left, 
because  he  knows  by  all  the  logic  of  nature's 
signboards  that  the  way  must  be  to  the  left. 
A  good  mountaineer  follows  the  half-oblit-     T^®  ^^^^^ 

of  Direc- 

erated  trails  as  much  by  his  knowledge  of  tion 
where  a  trail  must  go,  as  by  the  sparse  indi- 
cations that  men  have  passed  that  way.  I 
have  traveled  all  day  in  the  Sierras  over 
apparently  virgin  country.  Yet  every  few 
hours  we  would  come  on  the  traces  of  an 
old  trail.  We  were  running  in  and  out  of 
it  all  day ;  and  at  night  we  camped  by  it. 

That  is,  as  I  have  said,  elementary.  It 
has  to  do  with  a  country  over  which  your 
woodsman  has  already  traveled,  or  about 
which  he  knows  something.  In  the  last 
analysis,  however,  it  means  something  more. 

The  sense  of  direction  will  take  a  man 
through  a  country  of  which  he  knows  noth- 

5 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

ing  whatever.  He  travels  by  the  feel  of  it, 
he  will  tell  you.  This  means  that  his  experi- 
ence subconsciously  arranges  certain  factors 
from  which  the  sixth  sense  we  are  discussing 
draws  certain  deductions.  A  mountaineer, 
for  example,  recognizes  the  altitude  by  the 
vegetation.  Knowing  the  altitude  he  knows 
also  the  country  formation,  and  so  he  can 
tell  at  once  whether  the  canon  before  him 
will  narrow  to  an  impassable  gorge,  or  re- 
main open  enough  to  admit  of  passage. 
This  in  turn  determines  whether  he  shall 
choose  the  ravines  or  ridges  in  crossing  a 
certain  divide,  and  exactly  how  he  can 
descend  on  the  other  side.  The  example  is 
one  of  the  simpler.  A  good  man  thus  noses 
his  way  through  a  difficult  country  with  con- 
siderable accuracy  where  a  tenderfoot  would 
become  speedily  lost. 
Thorough-  -g^^  •£  ^  sense  of  direction  is  the  prime 
requisite,  thoroughness  presses  it  close.  It 
is  sometimes  very  difficult  to  command  the 
necessary  patience.  At  the  end  of  a  hard 
day,  with  the  almost  moral  certainty  that  the 

6 


nest 


THE   WILDERNESS    TRAVELER 

objective  point  is  just  ahead,  it  is  easy, 
fatally  easy,  when  the  next  dim  blaze  does  not 
immediately  appear,  to  say  to  oneself — "Oh, 
it's  near  enough" — and  to  plunge  ahead. 
And  then,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  you  are  in 
trouble.  "I  guess  this  is  all  right"  has  lost  yq^j^* 
many  a  man;  and  the  haste  too  great  to  be  Rig^^t 
sure — and  then  again  sure — ^has  had  many 
fatal  results.  If  it  is  a  trail,  then  be  cer- 
tain you  see  indications  before  proceeding. 
Should  they  fail,  then  go  back  to  the  last 
indication  and  start  over  again.  If  it  is  new 
country,  then  pick  up  every  consideration 
in  your  power,  and  balance  them  carefully 
before  making  the  smallest  decision.  And 
all  the  time  keep  figuring.  Once  having 
decided  on  a  route,  do  not  let  the  matter 
there  rest.  As  you  proceed  keep  your 
eyes  and  mind  busy,  weighing  each  bit 
of  evidence.  And  if  you  become  suspicious 
that  you  are  on  the  wrong  tack,  turn  back 
unhesitatingly,  no  matter  how  time  presses. 
A  recent  expedition  with  a  fatal  termina- 
tion illustrates  this  point  completely.     At 

7 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

first  sight  it  may  seem  invidious  to  call  atten- 
tion to  the  mistakes  of  a  man  who  has  laid 
down  his  life  in  payment  for  them.  But 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  chief  value  of  such 
sad  accidents — beyond  the  lessons  of  cour- 
age, endurance,  comradeship,  devotion,  and 
beautiful  faith — lies  in  the  lesson  and  warn- 
ing to  those  likely  to  fall  into  the  same 
blunders.  I  knew  Hubbard,  both  at  col- 
lege and  later,  and  admire  and  like  him.  I 
am  sure  he  would  be  the  first  to  warn  others 
from  repeating  his  error. 
Fatal  Result  j  The  expedition  of  which  I  speak  started 
Being  Sure  out  with  the  purpose  of  exploring  Labrador. 
As  the  season  is  short  some  haste  was  neces- 
sary. The  party  proceeded  to  the  head  of  a 
certain  lake  into  which  they  had  been  told 
they  would  find  a  river  flowing.  They 
found  a  river,  ascended  it,  were  conquered 
by  the  extreme  difficulties  of  the  stream,  one 
of  the  party  perished,  and  the  others  came 
near  to  it. 

(    As  for  the  facts  so  far:  The  first  thought 
to  occur  to  a  man  entirely  accustomed  to 

8 


THE   WILDERNESS   TRAVELER 

wilderness  travel  would  be,  is  there  perhaps 
another  stream?  another  river  flowing  into 
that  lake?  Encountering  difficulties  he 
would  become  more  and  more  uneasy  as  to 
that  point,  until  at  last  he  would  have 
detached  a  scout  to  make  sure. 

But  mark  this  further:  The  party's  in- 
formants had  told  Hubbard  that  he  would 
find  the  river  easily  navigable  for  eighteen 
miles.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  expedition 
ran  into  shallows  and  rapids  within  a  half 
mile  of  the  lake. 

To  a  woodsman  the  answer  would  have 
stood  out  as  plain  as  print.  He  would  have 
retraced  his  way,  explored  farther,  found 
the  right  river,  and  continued.  But  poor 
Hubbard  was  in  a  hurry,  and  moreover  pos- 
sessed that  optimistic  temperament  that  so 
endeared  him  to  all  who  knew  him.  *'They 
must  have  made  a  mistake  in  the  distance. 
I  guess  this  is  all  right,"  said  he,  and  pushed 
on  against  difficulties  that  eventually  killed 
him. 

To  a  man  accustomed  to  exploration  such 
9 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

a  mistake  is  inconceivable.  Labrador  is  not 
more  dangerous  than  other  wooded  northern 
countries ;  not  so  dangerous  as  the  big  moun- 
tains ;  much  safer  than  the  desert.  A  wrong 
turn  in  any  of  these  wildernesses  may  mean 
death.  Forty  men  succumbed  to  the  desert 
last  summer.  Do  not  make  that  wrong  turn. 
Be  sure.  Take  nothing  for  granted — 
either  that  "they  made  a  mistake  in  the  dis- 
tance," or  that  "  it's  probably  all  right." 
One  of  the  greatest  of  American  wilderness 
travelers  knew  this — as  all  wilderness  trav- 
elers must — and  phrased  it  in  an  epigram 
that  has  become  classic.  "Be  sure  you  are 
right,  and  then  go  ahead,"  advised  Daniel 
Boone. 
Alertness  \  g^  y^^  ^^  j^q^.  ^^^  j^g^ — barring  acci- 
dents— ^you  are  safe  enough.  But  to  travel 
•  well  you  must  add  to  your  minor  affairs  the 
same  quality,  slightly  diluted,  perhaps,  that 
I  have  endeavored  to  describe  above.  In 
this  application  it  becomes  thoroughness  and 
smartness.  A  great  many  people  object 
while  camping  to  keeping  things  in  trim,-^to 

10      .    . 


THE   WILDERNESS   TRAVELER 

getting  up  in  the  morning,  to  moving  with 
expedition  and  precision.  "Oh,  what's  the 
use  in  being  so  particular!"  they  grumble, 
"this  is  supposed  to  be  a  pleasure  trip." 

Outside  the  fact  that  a  certain  amount  Discipline 
of  discipline  brings  efficiency,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  a  slack  camp  means  trouble 
sooner  or  later.  Where  things  are  not 
picked  up,  something  important  will  sooner 
or  later  be  lost  or  left  behind.  Where  the 
beginning  of  the  day's  journey  hangs  fire, 
sooner  or  later  night  will  catch  you  in  a  very 
bad  place  indeed.  Where  men  get  in  the 
habit  of  slouching,  physically  and  mentally, 
they  become  in  emergencies  unable  to  sum- 
mon presence  of  mind,  and  incapable  of 
swift,  effective  movements.  The  morale  is 
low;  and  exclusive  of  the  fact  that  such 
things  are  an  annoyance  to  the  spirit,  they 
may  in  some  exceptional  occasion  give  rise 
to  serious  trouble.  Algernon  is  ten  minutes 
slow  in  packing  his  horse;  and  Algernon 
gets  well  cursed.  He  is  hurt  as  to  the  soul, 
and  demands  of  himself  aggrievedly  how  ten 

11 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

minutes  can  be  valued  so  high.  It  is  not 
the  ten  minutes  as  a  space  of  time,  but  as 
a  measure  of  incompetence.  This  pack  train 
is  ten  minutes  short  of  what  a  pack  train 
should  be;  and  if  the  leader's  mind  is 
properly  constructed,  he  is  proportionately 
annoyed. 

Although  not  strictly  germane  to  a  dis- 
cussion of  equipments,  I  am  tempted  to  hold 
up  a  horrible  example. 
A  Horrible  One  evening  we  were  all  sitting  around  a 

xampe  |^-^  after-dinner  fire  at  the  Forest  Super- 
visor's summer  camp  in  the  mountains,  when 
an  outfit  drifted  in  and  made  camp  a  few 
hundred  yards  down  stream.  After  an 
interval  the  leader  of  the  party  came  over 
and  introduced  himself. 

I  He  proved  to  be  a  youngish  man,  with 
curly  hair,  regular  features,  a  good  phy- 
sique, and  eyes  handsome,  but  set  too  close 
together.  A  blue  flannel  shirt  whose  top 
button  was  unfastened,  rolled  back  to  show 
his  neck ;  a  handkerchief  was  knotted  below 
that ;  in  all  his  external  appearance  he  leaned 
12 


THE   WILDERNESS    TRAVELER 

toward  the  foppish-picturesque.  This  was 
in  itself  harmless  enough.  Shortly  he  began 
to  tell  us  things.  He  confided  that  his  chief 
ambition  was  to  rope  a  bear;  he  related  ad- 
ventures in  the  more  southern  mountains; 
he  stated  that  he  intended  to  travel  up 
through  the  Minarets  and  over  Agnew's 
Pass,  and  by  way  of  Tuolumne.     This  was  ^  Horrible 

-^  -^  Example 

to  consume  two  weeks!  Finally  he  became 
more  personal.  He  told  us  how  President 
Roosevelt  when  on  his  Pacific  Coast  tour 
had  spoken  to  him  personally.  • 

"When  the  train  started,"  said  he,  "I  ran 
after  it  as  hard  as  I  could  with  a  lot  of 
others,  but  I  ran  a  lot  faster  and  got  ahead, 
so  the  President  spoke  directly  to  me — not 
to  the  crowd,  but  to  meT 

He  left  us  suitably  impressed.  Next 
morning  his  camp  was  astir  at  five  o'clock — 
as  was  proper  considering  the  strenuous  pro- 
gramme he  had  outlined.  About  seven  our 
friend  came  over  to  get  his  animals,  which 
he  had  turned  out  in  the  Supervisor's  pas- 
ture   over    night — ten    animals    in    another 

13 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL' 

man's  mountain  pasture!  We  had  a  shoot- 
ing match,  and  talked  Reserve  matters  for 
just  one  hour  and  twenty  minutes.  Then 
somebody  waked  up. 

"I  wonder  what's  become  of  Jones;  let's 
go  see." 

We  went.  Jones  was  standing  dusty  in 
'the  middle  of  the  corral.  In  his  hand  he 
held  a  short  loop  not  over  three  feet  across. 
This  he  whirled  forward  and  overhand. 
Occasionally  he  would  cast  it  at  a  horse. 
Of  course  the  outraged  and  astounded  ani- 
mal was  stricken  about  the  knees,  where- 
upon he  circulated  the  confines  of  the  corral 
at  speed. 

And  the  animals !  At  the  moment  of  our 
Jones  and  arrival  Jones  was  bestowing  attention  on 
the  Mule  g^  dignified  and  gaunt  mule  some  seventeen 
hands  high.  I  never  saw  such  a  giraffe. 
Two  about  the  size  of  jackasses  hovered 
near.  One  horse's  lower  lip  wabbled  ab- 
jectly below  a  Roman  nose. 

We  watched  a  few  moments ;  then  offered 
mildly  to  "help."    Jones,  somewhat  heated 

14 


THE   WILDERNESS   TRAVELER 

and  cross,  accepted.  The  first  horse  I  roped 
I  noticed  was  barefoot.  So  were  the  others. 
And  the  route  was  over  a  rough  granite  and 
snow  country.  Thus  we  formed  a  proces- 
sion, each  leading  some  sort  of  equine  freak. 
It  was  by  now  nearly  nine  o'clock. 

Gamp  we  found  about  half  picked  up. 
The  other  members  of  the  party  were  nice, 
well-meaning  people,  but  absolutely  inexpe- 
rienced in  the  ways  of  the  wilderness.  They 
had  innocently  intrusted  themselves  to  Jones 
on  the  strength  of  his  self-made  reputation; 
and  now  undoubtedly  were  taking  all  this 
fuss  and  discomfit  quite  as  part  of  "rough- 
ing it." 

When  we  saw  them  we  were  stricken  with    Helping  the 
pity  and  a  kindly  feeling  which  Jones  had 
failed  to  arouse,  so  we  turned  in  to  help 
them  saddle  up. 

Jones  was  occupied  with  a  small  mule 
which  he  claimed  was  ''bad."  He  hitched 
said  mule  to  a  tree,  then  proceeded  to  elevate 
one  hind  leg  by  means  of  a  rope  thrown  over 
a  limb.     Why  he  did  not  simply  blindfold 

15 


Tenderfeet 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

the  animal  no  one  could  tell.  We  looked 
forward  with  some  joy  to  the  throwing  of 
the  pack-hitches. 
A  Forest  But  at  this  moment  a  Ranger  dashed  up 
with  news  of  a  forest  fire  over  in  the  Rock 
Creek  country.  The  Rangers  present  imme- 
diately scattered  for  their  saddle  horses, 
while  I  took  a  pack  and  went  in  search  of 
supplies. 

Shortly  after  one  o'clock  I  was  organized, 
and  departed  on  the  trail  of  the  Rangers. 
They  had  struck  over  the  ridge,  and  down 
the  other  side  of  the  mountains.  Their 
tracks  were  easy  to  follow,  and  once  atop 
the  divide  I  could  see  the  flames  and  smoke 
of  the  fire  over  the  next  mountain  system. 
Desiring  to  arrive  before  dark,  I  pushed 
ahead  as  rapidly  as  possible.  About  half 
way  down  the  mountain  I  made  out  dust 
ahead. 

"A  messenger  coming  back  for  some- 
thing," thought  I. 

In  ten  minutes  I  was  stricken  dumb  to 
overtake   the  Jones   party  plodding  trust- 

16 


n 


On  the  Trail 


THE   WILDERNESS   TRAVELER 

ingly   along   in   the   tracks   made   by   the 
Rangers. 

"Well,"  I  greeted  them,  "what  are  you 
doing  over  here?  A  little  off  your  beat, 
aren't  you?" 

The  members  of  the  party  glanced  at 
each  other,  while  Jones  turned  a  dull  red. 

"Wrong  trail,  eh?"  said  he  easily;  "where 
does  this  one  go  to?" 

"Why,  this  isn't  a  trail!"  I  cried.    "Can't  Jones  and 
you  see  it's   just   fresh  tracks   made  since 
morning?     This  will  take  you  to  the  fire, 
and  that's  about  all.     Your  trail  is  miles  to 
the  north  of  here." 

For  the  moment  he  was  crushed.  It  was 
now  too  late  to  think  of  going  back ;  a  short 
cut  was  impossible  on  account  of  the  nature 
of  the  country.  Finally  I  gave  him  a  direc- 
tion which  would  cut  another  trail — ^not 
where  he  had  intended  to  go,  but  at  least 
leading  to  horse  feed.  Then  I  bade  him 
farewell,  and  rode  on  to  the  fire. 

Long  after  dark,  when  hunting  for  the 
place   the   boys   had   camped,    I   met   that 

17 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

deluded  outfit  moving  supperless,  homeless, 
lost,  like  ghosts  in  the  glow  of  the  fire  line. 
Jones  was  cross  and  snapped  at  me  when 
I  asked  him  if  he  wasn't  seeing  a  good  deal 
of  country.  But  I  looked  at  the  tired  faces 
of  the  other  members  of  the  party,  and  my 
We  Put         heart  relented,  and  I  headed  them  for  a 

Them  Right   ^^adow. 

"How  far  beyond  is  Squaw  Dome?" 
asked  Jones  as  he  started. 

"Sixteen  miles — about,"  said  I. 

"About  eight  hours  the  way  you  and  I 
travel,  then,"  said  he. 

"About  eight  weeks  the  way  you  travel," 
amended  a  Ranger  standing  near. 

Two  days  later  a  shakemaker  came  to  help 
us  fight  fire. 

"Oh,  yes,  they  passed  my  place,"  said  he. 
"I  went  out  and  tried  to  tell  him  he  was 
off 'n  the  trail,  but  he  waved  me  aside.  'We 
have  our  maps,'  says  he,  very  lofty." 

Twelve  days  subsequently  I  rode  a  day 
and  a  half  to  Jackass  Meadow.  They  told 
us  the  Jones  party  just  passed!    I  wonder 

18 


THE   WILDERISTESS   TRAVELER 

what  became  of  them,  and  how  soon  their 
barefooted  horses  got  tender. 

Now  the  tenderfoot  one  helps  out,  nor 
makes  fun  of,  for  he  is  merely  inexperienced 
and  will  learn.  But  this  man  is  in  the  moun- 
tains every  summer.  He  likewise  wishes 
to  rope  bears. 

No  better  example  could  be  instanced  as     ^^  Object 

^  ^  Lesson 

to  the  value  of  camp  alertness,  efficiency,  the 
use  of  one's  head,  and  the  willingness  to  take 
advice.  I  had  with  me  at  the  time  a  younger 
brother  whom  I  was  putting  through  his 
first  paces;  and  Jones  was  to  me  invaluable 
as  an  object  lesson. 

The  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  not  to  tell 
you  how  to  do  things,  but  how  to  go  at  them. 
If  you  can  keep  from  getting  lost,  and  if 
you  can  keep  awake,  you  will  at  least  reach 
home  safe.  Other  items  of  mental  and 
moral  equipment  you  may  need  will  come 
to  you  by  natural  development  in  the  en- 
vironment to  which  the  wild  life  brings  you. 


19 


COMMON  SENSE   IN  THE 
WILDERNESS 


CHAPTER   II 

COMMON   SENSE  IN   THE  WILDERNESS 

THERE  is  more  danger  that  a  man  Overbur- 
take  too  much  than  too  Httle  into  *°"^^ 
the  wilderness.  No  matter  how  good 
his  intentions  may  be,  how  conscientiously 
he  may  follow  advice,  or  how  carefully  he 
may  examine  and  re-examine  his  equip- 
ment, he  will  surely  find  that  he  is  carry- 
ing a  great  many  pounds  more  than  his 
companions,  the  professionals  at  the  busi- 
ness. At  first  this  may  affect  him  but 
little.  He  argues  that  he  is  constructed 
on  a  different  pattern  from  these  men,  that 
his  training  and  education  are  such  as  to 
have  developed  in  him  needs  and  habits  such 
as  they  have  never  known.  Preconceived 
notions,  especially  when  one  is  fairly  brought 
up  in  their  influence,  are  most  difficult  to 
shake  off.  Since  we  have  worn  coats  all  our 
lives,  we  include  a  coat  in  our  list  of  personal 

23 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

apparel  just  as  unquestionably — even  as  un- 
thinkingly— as  we  should  include  in  our  cal- 
culations air  to  breathe  and  water  to  drink. 
The  coat  is  an  institution  so  absolutely  one 
of  man's  invariable  garments  that  it  never 
even  occurs  to  him  to  examine  into  its  use 
or  uselessness.  In  like  manner  no  city 
dweller  brought  up  in  proximity  to  laundries 
and  on  the  firm  belief  that  washing  should 
be  done  all  at  once  and  at  stated  intervals 
can  be  convinced  that  he  can  keep  clean  and 
happy  with  but  one  shirt;  or  that  more  than 
one  handkerchief  is  a  superfluity. 
Elimination  Yet  in  time,  if  he  is  a  woodsman,  and 
really  thinks  about  such  affairs  instead  of 
taking  them  for  granted,  he  will  inevitably 
gravitate  toward  the  correct  view  of  these 
things.  Some  day  he  will  wake  up  to  the 
fact  that  he  never  wears  a  coat  when  work- 
ing or  traveling ;  that  about  camp  his  sweater 
is  more  comfortable;  and  that  in  sober  fact 
he  uses  that  rather  bulky  garment  as  little 
as  any  article  in  his  outfit.  So  he  leaves  it 
home,  and  is  by  so  much  disencumbered.  In 
24 


COMMON    SENSE 


a  similar  manner  he  will  realize  that  with  the 
aid  of  cold-water  soap  the  shirt  he  wears  may 
be  washed  in  one  half  hour  and  dried  in  the 
next.  Meanwhile  he  dons  his  sweater.  A 
handkerchief  is  laundered  complete  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour.  Why  carry  extras,  then, 
merely  from  a  recollection  of  full  bureau 
drawers  ? 

In  this  matter  it  is  exceedingly  difficult 
to  be  honest  with  oneself.  The  best  test 
is  that  of  experience.  What  I  have  found 
to  be  of  no  use  to  me,  may  measure  the  dif- 
ference between  comfort  and  unhappiness 
to  another  man.  Carry  only  essentials:  but 
the  definition  of  the  word  is  not  so  easy.  An 
essential  is  that  which,  by  each  mans  indi- 
vidual eajperiencCj  he  has  found  he  cannot 
do  without. 

How  to  determine  that?  I  have  elsewhere 
indicated^  a  practical  expedient,  which  will 
however,  bear  repetition  here.  When  you 
have  reached  home  after  your  trip,  turn  your 
duffle  bag  upside  down  on  the  floor.    Sepa- 

1  The  Forest. 
25 


Essentials 


How  to 

Determine 

Essentials 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

rate  the  contents  into  three  piles.  Let  pile 
No.  1  include  those  articles  you  have  used 
every  day — or  nearly  that  often ;  let  pile  No. 
2  comprise  those  you  have  used  but  once; 
and  pile  No.  3  those  you  have  not  used  at 
all.  Now,  no  matter  how  your  heart  may 
yearn  over  the  Patent  Dingbat  in  No.  3, 
shut  your  eyes  and  resolutely  discard  the 
two  latter  piles. 

Naturally,  if  you  are  strong-minded,  pile 
No.  1  will  be  a  synonym  for  your  equipment. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  you  will  probably  not 
be  as  strong-minded  as  that.  You  will  argue 
to  yourself  somewhat  in  this  fashion : 
;  "Yes,  that  is  all  very  well;  but  it  was  only 
a  matter  of  sheer  chance  that  the  Patent 
Dingbat  is  not  in  pile  No.  1.  To  be  sure,  I 
did  not  use  it  on  this  particular  trip ;  but  in 
other  conditions  I  might  need  it  every  day." 
The  Phi-  g^  ™^  ^^^^  [^^  ^^^  keex)  on  taking  it,  and 

losophy  of  "^  . 

Duffle  once  in  a  great  while  you  use  it.    Then  some 

day  you  wake  up  to  two  more  bits  of  camp 

philosophy  which  you  formulate  to  yourself 

about  as  follows:  An  article  must  pay  in 

26 


COMMON    SENSE 

convenience  or  comfort  for  the  trouble  of  its 
transportation;  and  Substitution^  even  im- 
perfect, is  better  than  the  carrying  of  special 
conveniences.  Then  he  hurls  said  Patent 
Dingbat  into  the  nearest  pool. 

That  hits  directly  at  the  weak  point  of  the  Patent 
sporting  catalogues.  Every  once  in  a  while  ^  **' 
an  enthusiast  writes  me  of  some  new  and 
handy  kink  he  is  ready  to  swear  by.  It  is 
indeed  handy;  and  if  one  could  pluck  it  from 
the  nearest  bush  when  occasion  for  its  use 
arose,  it  would  be  a  joy  and  a  delight.  But 
carrying  it  four  hundred  miles  to  that  occa- 
sion for  its  use  is  a  very  different  matter. 
The  sporting  catalogues  are  full  of  very 
handy  kinks.  They  are  good  to  fool  with 
and  think  about,  and  plan  over  in  the  off 
season;  but  when  you  pack  your  duffle  bag 
you'd  better  put  them  on  a  shelf. 

Occasionally,  but  mighty  seldom,  you  will 
find  that  something  you  need  very  much  has 
gone  into  pile  No.  3.  Make  a  note  of  it. 
But  do  not  be  too  hasty  to  write  it  down 
as  part  of  your  permanent  equipment. 

27 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

You  Must  The  first  summer  I  spent  in  the  Sierras 

Not  Mind         j  discovered  that  small  noon  showers  needed 

Getting  Wet 

Sometimes  neither  tent  nor  slicker.  So  next  year  I  left 
them  home,  and  was,  off  and  on,  plenty  wet 
and  cold.  Immediately  I  jumped  to  the 
conclusion  that  I  had  made  a  mistake.  It 
has  not  rained  since.  So  I  decided  that 
sporadic  heavy  rains  do  not  justify  the 
transportation  of  two  cumbersome  articles. 
Now  when  it  rains  in  daytime  I  don't  mind 
getting  a  little  wet — for  it  is  soon  over ;  and 
at  night  an  adequate  shelter  can  be  built  of 
the  tarpaulin  and  a  saddle  blanket.  In  other 
words  the  waterproofs  could  not  pay,  in  the 
course  of  say  three-days'  rain  in  a  summer, 
for  the  trouble  of  their  transportation  dur- 
ing four  months. 

As  I  have  said,  the  average  man,  with  the 
best  intentions,  will  not  go  too  light,  and 
so  I  have  laid  especial  emphasis  on  the  neces- 
sity of  discarding  the  unessential.  But  there 
exists  a  smaller  class  who  rush  to  the  oppo- 
site extreme. 

We  all  know  the  type.  He  professes  an 
28 


COMMON    SENSE 

inordinate  scorn  for  comfort  of  all  sorts.    If  Another 

•  11.  T  1       ^^  o^ 

you  are  out  with  him  you  soon  discover  that  Tenderfoot 

he  has  a  vast  pride  in  being  able  to  sleep  on 
cobblestones — and  does  so  at  the  edge  of 
yellow  pines  with  their  long  needles.  He 
eats  badly  cooked  food.  He  stands — or  per- 
haps I  should  say  poses — indifferent  to  a 
downpour  when  every  one  else  has  sought 
shelter.  In  a  cold  climate  he  brings  a  single 
thin  blanket.  His  slogan  seems  to  be :  "This 
is  good  enough  for  me!"  with  the  unspoken 
conclusion,  "if  it  isn't  good  enough  for  you 
fellows,  you're  pretty  soft." 

The  queer  part  of  it  is  he  usually  manages  The  Tough 
to  bully  sensible  men  into  his  point  of  view. 
They  accept  his  bleak  camps  and  voluntary 
hardships  because  they  are  ashamed  to  be 
less  tough  than  he  is.  And  in  town  they  are 
abashed  before  him  when  with  a  superior, 
good-natured,  and  tolerant  laugh  he  tells  the 
company  in  glee  of  how  you  brought  with 
you  a  little  pillow-case  to  stuff  with  moss. 
"Bootleg  is  good  enough  for  me!"  he  cries; 
and  every  one  marvels  at  his  woodsmanship, 

29 


CAME  AND   TRAIL 

As  a  plain  matter  of  fact  this  man  is  the 
worse  of  two  types  of  tenderfoot.  The 
greenhorn  does  not  know  better;  but  this 
man  should.  He  has  mistaken  utterly  the 
problem  of  the  wilderness.  The  wild  life  is 
not  to  test  how  much  the  human  frame  can 
endure — although  that  often  enough  hap- 
pens— but  to  test  how  well  the  human  wits, 
backed  by  an  enduring  body,  can  answer  the 
question  of  comfort.  Comfort  means  mini- 
mum equipment ;  comfort  means  bodily  ease. 
The  task  is  to  balance,  to  reconcile  these 
apparently  opposing  ideas. 
The  Logic  A  man  is  skillful  at  woodcraft  just  in 

proportion  as  he  approaches  this  balance. 
Knowing  the  wilderness  he  can  be  com- 
fortable when  a  less  experienced  man  would 
endure  hardships.  Conversely,  if  a  man  en- 
dures hardships  where  a  woodsman  could 
be  comfortable,  it  argues  not  his  toughness, 
but  his  ignorance  or  foolishness,  which  is 
exactly  the  case  with  our  blatant  friend  of 
the  drawing-room  reputation. 

Probably  no  men  endure  more  hardships 
30 


of  Wood 
craft 


COMMON    SENSE 

than  do  those  whose  professions  call  them 
out  of  doors.  But  they  are  unavoidable 
hardships.  The  cowboy  travels  with  a  tin 
cup  and  a  slicker;  the  cruiser  with  a  twenty- 
pound  pack ;  the  prospector  with  a  half  blan- 
ket and  a  sack  of  pilot  bread — ^when  he  has 
.to.  But  on  round-up,  when  the  chuck  wagon 
goes  along,  the  cow-puncher  has  his  "roll"; 
on  drive  with  the  wangan  the  cruiser  sends 
his  ample  "turkey" ;  and  the  prospector  with  a 
burro  train  takes  plenty  to  keep  him  comfort- 
able. Surely  even  the  Tough  Youth  could 
hardly  accuse  these  men  of  being  "soft." 

You  must  in  this  matter  consider  what   chitfit 
your  means  of  transportation  are  to  be.    It   Should 

*^  ^  Correspond 

would  be  as  foolish  to  confine  your  outfit  for  to  Means  of 
pack  horses  to  the  equipment  you  would  tion**^**'^ 
carry  on  your  own  back  in  the  forests,  as  it 
would  be  to  limit  yourself  to  a  pack  horse 
outfit  when  traveling  across  country  in  a 
Pullman  car.  When  you  have  horses  it  is 
good  to  carry  a  few — a  very  few — canned 
goods.  The  corners  of  the  kyacks  will  ac- 
commodate them;  and  once  in  a  blue  moon 
31 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 


Common 
Sense 
Should  Rule 


a  single  item  of  luxury  chirks  you  up  won- 
derfully and  gives  you  quite  a  new  outlook 
on  life.  So  you  chuck  them  in,  and  are  no 
more  bothered  by  them  until  the  psychologi- 
cal moment. 

On  a  walking  trip,  however,  the  affair  is 
different.  You  can  take  canned  goods,  if 
you  want  to.  But  their  transportation 
would  require  another  Indian;  another 
Indian  means  more  grub  and  more  equip- 
ment ;  and  so  at  the  last  you  find  yourself  at 
the  head  of  an  unwieldy  caravan.  You  find 
it  much  pleasanter  to  cut  the  canned  goods, 
and  to  strike  out  with  a  single  companion. 

After  all,  it  is  an  affair  of  common  sense; 
but  even  common  sense  when  confronted  by 
a  new  problem,  needs  a  certain  directing. 
The  province  of  these  articles  is  to  offer  that 
direction ;  I  do  not  claim  that  my  way  is  the 
only  way,  nor  am  I  rash  enough  to  claim  it 
is  the  best  way.  But  it  is  my  way,  and  if  any 
one  will  follow  it,  he  will  be  as  comfortable 
and  as  well  suited  as  I  am,  which  is  at  least 
better  than  going  it  blind. 
32 


>     The  author  doing  a  little  washing  on  his  own  account 


PERSONAL    EQUIPMENT 


CHAPTER   III 

PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

IN  discussion  of  the  details  of  equip- 
ment, I  shall  first  of  all  take  up  in  turn 
each  and  every  item  you  could  possibly 
need,  whether  you  intend  to  travel  by  horse, 
by  canoe,  or  on  your  own  two  feet.  Of 
course  you  will  not  carry  all  of  these  things 
on  any  one  trip.  What  is  permissible  for 
horse  traveling  would  be  absurd  for  a  walk- 
ing trip ;  and  some  things — such  as  a  water- 
proof duffle  bag — which  you  would  need  on 
a  foot  tramp,  would  be  useless  where  you 
have  kyacks  and  a  tarpaulin  to  protect  your 
belongings.  Therefore  I  shall  first  enumer- 
ate all  articles  of  all  three  classes  of  equip- 
ment ;  and  then  in  a  final  summary  segregate 
them  into  their  proper  categories. 

Long  experience  by  men  practically  con-  Concerning 
cerned  seems  to  prove  that  a  rather  heavy 
35 


Stetson  Hat 
the  Best 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

felt  hat  is  the  best  for  all  around  use.  Even 
in  hot  sun  it  seems  to  be  the  most  satisfac- 
tory, as,  with  proper  ventilation,  it  turns  the 
sun's  rays  better  even  than  light  straw.  Wit- 
ness the  Arizona  cowboy  on  his  desert 
ranges.  You  will  want  a  good  hat,  the  best 
in  material  that  money  can  buy.  A  cheap 
article  sags  in  the  brim,  tears  in  the  crown, 
and  wets  through  like  blotting  paper  the 
first  time  it  rains.  I  have  found  the  Stetson, 
of  the  five  to  seven  dollar  grade,  the  most 
satisfactory.  If  it  is  intended  for  woods 
travel  where  you  are  likely  to  encounter 
much  brush,  get  it  of  medium  brim.  In 
those  circumstances  I  find  it  handy  to  buy  a 
size  smaller  than  usual,  and  then  to  rip  out 
the  sweat  band.  The  friction  of  the  felt 
directly  against  the  forehead  and  the  hair 
will  hold  it  on  in  spite  of  pretty  sharp  tugs 
by  thorns  and  wind.  In  the  mountains  or 
on  the  plains,  you  can  indulge  in  a  wider  and 
stifFer  brim.  Two  buckskin  thongs  sewn  on 
either  side  and  to  tie  under  the  "back  hair" 
will  hold  it  on,  even  against  a  head  wind.  A 
36 


Kerchiefs 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

test  will  show  you  how  this  can  be.  A 
leather  band  and  buckle — or  miniature  cinch 
and  latigos — gives  added  security.  I  gener- 
ally cut  ample  holes  for  ventilation.  In  case 
of  too  many  mosquitoes  I  stuff  my  handker- 
chief in  the  crown.  * 

About  your  neck  you  will  want  to  wear  a 
silk  kerchief.  This  is  to  keep  out  dust,  and 
to  prevent  your  neck  from  becoming  red- 
dened and  chapped.  It,  too,  should  be  of  the 
best  quality.  The  poorer  grades  go  to  pieces 
soon,  and  their  colors  are  not  fast.  Get  it 
big  enough.  At  night  you  will  make  a  cap 
of  it  to  sleep  in ;  and  if  ever  you  happen  to 
be  caught  without  extra  clothes  where  it  is 
very  cold,  you  will  find  that  the  kerchief  tied 
around  your  middle,  and  next  the  skin,  will 
help  surprisingly. 

A  coat  is  useless  absolutely.  A  sweater  is  °*^ 
better  as  far  as  warmth  goes;  a  waistcoat 
beats  it  for  pockets.  You  will  not  wear  it 
during  the  day;  it  wads  up  too  much  to  be 
of  much  use  at  night.  Even  your  trousers 
rolled  up  make  a  better  temporary  pillow. 
37 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 


Sweaters 


Buckskim 
Shirts 


Leave  it  home;  and  you  will  neither  regret 
it  nor  miss  it. 

For  warmth,  as  I  have  said,  you  will  have 
your  sweater.  In  this  case,  too,  I  would 
impress  the  desirability  of  purchasing  the 
best  you  can  buy.  And  let  it  be  a  heavy 
one,  of  gray  or  a  neutral  brown. 

But  to  my  mind  the  best  extra  garment 
is  a  good  ample  buckskin  shirt.  It  is  less 
bulky  than  the  sweater,  of  less  weight,  and 
much  warmer,  especially  in  a  wind,  while 
for  getting  through  brush  noiselessly  it  can- 
not be  improved  upon.  I  do  not  know  where 
you  can  buy  one ;  but  in  any  case  get  it  ample 
in  length  and  breadth,  and  without  the 
fringe.  The  latter  used  to  possess  some 
significance  beside  ornamentation,  for  in 
case  of  need  the  wilderness  hunter  could  cut 
from  it  ^thongs  and  strings  as  he  needed 
them.  Nowadays  a  man  in  a  fringed  buck- 
skin shirt  is  generally  a  fake  built  to  deceive 
tourists.  On  the  other  hand  a  plain  woods- 
manlike garment,  worn  loose  and  belted  at 
the  waist,  looks  always  at  once  comfortable 
38 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

and  appropriate.  Be  sure  that  the  skins  of 
which  it  is  made  are  smoke  tanned.  The 
smoke  tanned  article  will  dry  soft,  while  the 
ordinary  skin  is  hardening  to  almost  the  con- 
sistency of  rawhide.  Good  buckskins  are 
difficult  to  get  hold  of — and  it  will  take  five 
to  make  you  a  good  shirt — but  for  this  use 
they  last  practically  forever. 

Of  course  such  a  garment  is  distinctly  an 
extra  or  outside  garment.  You  would  find 
it  too  warm  for  ordinary  wear.  The  outer 
shirt  of  your  daily  habit  is  best  made  of 
rather  a  light  weight  of  gray  flannel.  Most 
new  campers  indulge  in  a  very  thick  navy 
blue  shirt,  mainly,  I  believe,  because  it  con- 
trasts picturesquely  with  a  bandana  around 
the  neck.  Such  a  shirt  almost  always  crocks, 
is  sure  to  fade,  shows  dirt,  and  is  altogether 
too  hot.  A  lighter  weight  furnishes  all  the 
protection  you  need  to  your  underclothes 
and  turns  sun  quite  as  well.  Gray  is  a  neu- 
tral color,  and  seems  less  often  than  any 
other  to  shame  you  to  the  wash  soap.  A 
great  many  wear  an  ordinary  cotton  work 

39 


Overshirts 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

shirt,  relying  for  warmth  on  the   under- 
clothes.    There  is  no  great  objection  to  this, 
except  that  flannel  is  better  should  you  get 
rained  on. 
Under-         The  true  point  of  comfort  is,  however, 

\  clothes  ♦  \ 

^  your  underwear.    It  should  be  of  wool.    I 

know  that  a  great  deal  has  been  printed 
against  it,  and  a  great  many  hygienic  princi- 
ples are  invoked  to  prove  that  linen,  cotton, 
or  silk  are  better.  But  experience  with  all 
of  them  merely  leads  back  to  the  starting 
point.  If  one  were  certain  never  to  sweat 
freely,  and  never  to  get  wet,  the  theories 
might  hold.  But  once  let  linen  or  cotton  or 
silk  undergarments  get  thoroughly  moist- 
ened, the  first  chilly  little  wind  is  your  un- 
doing. You  will  shiver  and  shake  before 
the  hottest  fire,  and  nothing  short  of  a  com- 
plete change  and  a  rub-down  will  do  you 
any  good. 

Now,  of  course  in  the  wilderness  you 
expect  to  undergo  extremes  of  temperature, 
and  occasionally  to  pass  unprotected  through 

a  rainstorm  or  a  stream.    Then  you  will  dis- 
40 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

cover  that  wool  dries  quickly ;  that  even  when 
damp  it  soon  warms  comfortably  to  the  body. 
I  have  waded  all  day  in  early  spring  freshet 
water  with  no  positive  discomfort  except  for 
the  cold  ring  around  my  legs  which  marked 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

And  if  you  are  wise,  you  will  wear  full   ^^^^ 

•^  -^         .  Woolen 

long-sleeved  woolen  undershirts  even  on  a  under- 
summer  trip.  If  it  is  a  real  trip,  you  are  \?  ®^ 
going  to  sweat  anyway,  no  matter  how  you 
strip  down  to  the  work.  And  sooner  or  later 
the  sun  will  dip  behind  a  cloud  or  a  hill;  or 
a  cool  breezelet  will  wander  to  you  resting 
on  the  slope;  or  the  inevitable  chill  of  even- 
ing will  come  out  from  the  thickets  to  greet 
you — and  you  will  be  very  glad  of  your 
woolen  underwear. 

A  great  many  people  go  to  the  opposite 
extreme.  They  seem  to  think  that  because 
they  are  to  live  in  the  open  air,  they  will 
probably  freeze.  As  a  consequence  of  this 
delusion,  they  purchase  underclothes  an  inch 
thick.  This  is  foolishness,  not  only  because 
such  a  weight  is  unnecessary  and  unhealth- 

41 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

f ul,  but  also — even  if  it  were  merely  a  ques- 
tion of  warmth — because  one  suit  of  thick 
garments  is  not  nearly  so  warm  as  two  suits 
of  thin.  Whenever  the  weather  turns  very 
cold  on  you,  just  put  on  the  extra  undershirt 
over  the  one  you  are  wearing,  and  you  will 
be  surprised  to  discover  how  much  warmth 
two  gauze  tissues — with  the  minute  air  space 
between  them — can  give.  Therefore,  though 
you  must  not  fail  to  get  full  length  woolen 
underclothes,  you  need  not  buy  them  of 
great  weight.  The  thinnest  Jaeger  is  about 
right. 

Two  undershirts  and  three  pairs  of  draw- 
ers are  all  you  ever  will  need  on  the  most 
elaborate  trip.  You  perhaps  cannot  believe 
that  until  you  have  gotten  away  from  the 

The  idea  that  laundry  must  be  done  all  at  once. 

Problem  In  the  woods  it  is  much  handier  to  do  it  a 
little  at  a  time.  Soap  your  outershirt  at 
night ;  rinse  it  in  the  morning ;  dry  it  on  top 
of  your  pack  during  the  first  two  hours. 
In  the  meantime  wear  your  sweater;  or,  if 
it  is  warm  enough,  appear  in  your  under- 
42 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

shirt.  When  you  change  your  underclothes 
— which  should  be  one  garment  at  a  time — 
do  the  same  thing.  Thus  always  you  will 
be  possessed  of  a  clean  outfit  without  the 
necessity  of  carrying  a  lot  of  extras. 

The  matter  of  trousers  is  an  important  Trousers 
one;  for  unless  you  are  possessed  of  abun- 
dant means  of  transportation,  those  you 
have  on  will  be  all  you  will  take.  I  used  to 
include  an  extra  pair,  but  got  over  it.  Even 
when  trout  fishing  I  found  that  by  the  time 
I  had  finished  standing  around  the  fire  cook- 
ing, or  yarning,  I  might  have  to  change  the 
underdrawers,  but  the  trousers  themselves 
had  dried  well  enough.  And  patches  are  not 
too  difiicult  a  maneuver. 

The  almost  universal  wear  in  the  West 
is  the  copper-riveted  blue  canvas  overall. 
They  are  very  good  in  that  they  wear  well. 
Otherwise  they  are  stiff  and  noisy  in  the 
brush.  Kersey  is  excellent  where  much  wad- 
ing is  to  be  done  or  much  rainy  weather 
encountered — in  fact  it  is  the  favorite  "driv- 
ing" trousers  with  rivermen — but  like  all 
43 


MoleBkin 
and  Khaki 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

woven  woolen  materials  it  "picks  out"  in  bad 
brush.  Corduroy  I  would  not  have  as  a 
gift.  It  is  very  noisy,  and  each  raindrop 
that  hits  it  spreads  at  once  to  the  size  of  a 
silver  dollar.  I  verily  believe  an  able  pair  of 
corduroys  can,  when  feeling  good,  soak  up 
ten  pounds  of  water.  Good  moleskin  dries 
well,  and  until  it  begins  to  give  out  is  soft 
and  tough.  But  it  is  like  the  one-hoss  shay: 
when  it  starts  to  go,  it  does  the  job  up  com- 
pletely in  a  few  days.  The  difficulty  is  to 
guess  when  that  moment  is  due  to  arrive. 
Anything  but  the  best  quality  is  worthless. 
Khaki  has  lately  come  into  popularity.  It 
wears  remarkably  well,  dries  quickly,  and  is 
excellent  in  all  but  one  particular;  it  shows 
every  spot  of  dirt.  A  pair  of  khakis  three 
days  along  on  the  trail  look  as  though  they 
had  been  out  a  year.  The  new  green  khaki 
is  a  little  better.  Buckskin  is  all  right  until 
you  get  it  wet,  then  you  have — tempora- 
rily— enough  material  to  make  three  pairs 
and  one  for  the  boy. 

The  best  trousers  I  know  of  is  a  combina- 
44 


PERSONAL    EQUIPMENT 

tion  of  the  latter  two  materials.  I  bought 
a  pair  of  the  ordinary  khaki  army  riding 
breeches,  and  had  a  tailor  cover  them  com- 
pletely— fore,  aft,  and  sideways — with  some 
good  smoke-tanned  buckskin  I  happened  to 
have.  It  took  a  skin  and  a  half.  These  I 
have  worn  now  for  three  seasons,  in  all  kinds 
of  country,  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  and  they 
are  to-day  as  good  as  when  I  constructed 
them.  In  still  hunting  they  are  noiseless; 
horseback  they  do  not  chafe ;  in  cold  weather 
they  are  warm,  and  the  hot  sun  they  turn. 
The  khaki  holds  the  stretch  of  buckskin  when 
wet — as  they  have  been  for  a  week  at  a  time. 
Up  to  date  the  smoke  tan  has  dried  them 
soft.  Altogether  they  are  the  most  satis- 
factory garment  of  this  kind  I  have  experi- 
mented with. 

There  remains  the  equallj^  important  sub- 
ject of  footwear. 

Get  heavy  woolen  lumberman's  socks,  and   Socks 

wear  them  in  and  out  of  season.     They  are 

not  one  whit  hotter  on  the  feet  than  the 

thinnest  you  can  buy,   for  the  impervious 

45 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

leather  of  the  shoe  is  really  what  keeps  in 
the  animal  heat — the  sock  has  little  to  do 
with  it.  You  will  find  the  soft  thick  wool 
an  excellent  cushion  for  a  long  tramp;  and 
with  proper  care  to  avoid  wrinkles,  you  will 
never  become  tender- footed  nor  chafed.  At 
first  it  seems  ridiculous  to  draw  on  such  thick 
and  apparently  hot  socks  when  the  sun  peep- 
ing over  the  rim  of  the  desert  promises  you 
a  scorching  day.  Nothing  but  actual  experi- 
ence will  convince  you;  but  I  am  sure  that 
if  you  will  give  the  matter  a  fair  test,  you 
will  come  inevitably  to  my  conclusion. 
_-    -.    ,  If  a  man  were  limited  to  a  choice  between 

The  Ideal 

Footwear  moccasins  and  shoes,  it  would  be  very  diffi- 
cult to  decide  wisely  which  he  should  take. 
Each  has  its  manifest  advantages  over  the 
other,  and  neither  can  entirely  take  the  place 
of  the  other. 

The  ideal  footwear  should  give  security, 
be  easy  on  the  feet,  wear  well,  and  give  abso- 
lute protection.  These  qualities  I  have 
named  approximately  in  the  order  of  their 
importance. 

46 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

Security  of  footing  depends  on  the  nature 
of  the  ground  over  which  you  are  travehng. 
Hobnails  only  will  hold  you  on  a  slope  cov- 
ered with  pine  needles,  for  instance;  both 
leather  and  buckskin  there  become  as  slip- 
pery as  glass.  In  case  of  smooth  rocks,  how- 
ever, your  hobnails  are  positively  dangerous, 
as  they  slide  from  under  you  with  all  the 
vicious  force  and  suddenness  of  unaccus- 
tomed skates.  Clean  leather  is  much  better, 
and  buckskin  is  the  best  of  all.  Often  in 
hunting  deer  along  the  ledges  of  the  deep 
box  canons  I,  with  my  moccasins,  have 
walked  confidently  up  slants  of  smooth  rock 
on  which  my  hobnailed  companion  was  actu- 
ally forced  to  his  hands  and  knees.  Un- 
doubtedly also  a  man  carrying  a  pack 
through  mixed  forest  is  surer  of  his  footing 
and  less  liable  to  turned  ankles  in  moccasins 
than  in  boots.  My  experience  has  been  that 
with  the  single  exception  mentioned,  I  have 
felt  securer  in  the  buckskin. 

As  for  ease  to  the  feet,  that  is  of  course 
a  matter  of  opinion.  Undoubtedly  at  first 
47 


Ease 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

the  moccasin  novice  is  literally  a  tenderfoot. 
But  after  astonishingly  few  days  of  practice 
a  man  no  longer  notices  the  lack  of  a  sole. 
I  have  always  worn  moccasins  more  or  less 
in  the  woods,  and  now  can  walk  over  pebbles 
or  knife-edge  stones  without  the  slightest 
discomfort.  In  fact  the  absence  of  rolling 
and  slipping  in  that  sort  of  shifting  footing 
turns  the  scale  quite  the  other  way. 
Weai  The  matter  of  wear  is  not  so  important. 

It  would  seem  at  first  glance  that  the  one 
thin  layer  of  buckskin  would  wear  out 
before  the  several  thick  layers  of  a  shoe's 
sole.  Such  is  not  always  the  case.  A  good 
deal  depends  on  the  sort  of  ground  you 
cover.  If  you  wet  moccasins,  and  then  walk 
down  hill  with  them  over  granite  shale,  you 
can  get  holes  to  order.  Boots  wear  rapidly 
in  the  same  circumstances.  On  the  other 
hand  I  have  on  at  this  moment  a  pair  of 
mooseskin  moccasins  purchased  three  years 
ago  at  a  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  post, 
which  have  seen  two  summers'  off  and  on 
service  in  the  Sierras.  Barring  extraor- 
48 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

dinary  conditions,  I  should  say  that  each  in 
its  proper  use,  a  pair  of  boots  and  a  pair  of 
moccasins  would  last  about  the  same  length 
of  time.  The  moccasin,  however,  has  this 
advantage:  it  can  be  readily  patched,  and 
even  a  half  dozen  extra  pairs  take  up  little 
room  in  the  pack. 

Absolute  protection  must  remain  a  tenta- 
tive term.  No  footwear  I  have  succeeded 
in  discovering  gives  absolute  protection. 
Where  there  is  much  work  to  be  done  in 
the  water,  I  think  boots  are  the  warmest  and 
most  comfortable,  though  no  leather  is  per- 
fectly waterproof.  Moccasins  then  become 
slimpsy,  stretched,  and  loathsome.  So  like- 
wise moccasins  are  not  much  good  in  damp 
snow,  though  in  dry  snow  they  are  unex- 
celled. 

In  my  own  practice  I  wear  boots  on  a 
horseback  trip,  and  carry  moccasins  in  my 
pack  for  general  walking.  In  the  woods  I 
pack  four  pair  of  moccasins.  In  a  canoe, 
moccasins  of  course. 

Do  not  make  the  common  mistake  of 
49 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

bout  Boots  getting  tremendously  heavy  boots.  They 
are  clumsy  to  place,  burdensome  to  carry, 
and  stiff  and  unpliable  to  the  chafing  point. 
The  average  amateur  woodsman  seems  to 
think  a  pair  of  elephantine  brogans  is  the 
proper  thing — a  sort  of  badge  of  identifica- 
tion in  the  craft.  If  he  adds  big  hobnails 
to  make  tracks  with,  he  is  sure  of  himself.  A 
medium  weight  boot,  of  medium  height,  with 
medium  heavy  soles  armed  only  with  the 
small  Hungarian  hobnail  is  about  the  proper 
thing.  Get  them  eight  inches  high ;  supplied 
with  very  large  eyelets  part  way,  then  the 
heaviest  hooks,  finishing  with  two  more  eye- 
lets at  the  top.  The  latter  will  prevent  the 
belt-lacing  you  will  use  as  shoestrings  from 
coming  unhooked. 

You  will  see  many  advertisements  of 
waterproof  leather  boots.  No  such  thing  is 
made.  Some  with  good  care  will  exclude 
water  for  a  while,  if  you  stay  in  it  but  a  few 
minutes  at  a  time,  but  sooner  or  later  as  the 
fibers  become  loosened  the  water  will  pene- 
trate. In  the  case  of  the  show  window 
50 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

exhibit  of  the  shoe  standing  in  a  pan  of 
water,  pressure  of  the  foot  and  ground 
against  the  leather  is  lacking,  which  of 
course  makes  all  the  difference.  This  por- 
osity is  really  desirable.  A  shoe  wholly 
waterproof  would  retain  and  condense  the 
perspiration  to  such  an  extent  that  the  feet 
would  be  as  wet  at  the  end  of  the  day.  Such 
is  the  case  with  rubber  boots.  All  you  want 
is  a  leather  that  will  permit  you  to  splash 
through  a  marsh,  a  pool,  or  a  little  stream, 
and  will  not  seek  to  emulate  blotting  paper 
in  its  haste  to  become  saturated. 

Of  the  boots  I  have  tried,  and  that  means 
a  good  many,  I  think  the  Putman  boot  and 
the  river  driver's  boot,  made  by  A.  A.  Cutter 
of  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  are  made  of  the  most 
durable  material.  The  Putman  boot  is  the 
more  expensive ;  and  in  the  case  of  the  three 
pairs  I  know  of  personally,  the  sewing  has 
been  defective.  The  material,  however, 
wears  remarkably  well,  and  remains  water- 
proof somewhat  longer  than  any  of  the 
others.    On  the  other  hand  the  Cutter  shoe 

61 


CAMP   AND   trail; 

is  built  primarily  for  rivermen  and  timber 
cruisers  of  the  northern  forests,  and  is  at 
once  cheap  and  durable.  It  has  a  brace  of 
sole  leather  about  the  heel  which  keeps  the 
latter  upright  and  prevents  it  running  c  jr. 
It  is  an  easier  shoe  on  the  foot  than  any  of 
the  others,  but  does  not  remain  waterproof 
quite  so  long  as  the  Putman.  Although, 
undoubtedly,  many  other  makes  are  as  good, 
you  will  not  go  astray  in  purchasing  one  of 
these  two. 
Rubber  JS[o  shoe  is  waterproof  for  even  a  short 

time  in  wet  snow.  Rubber  is  then  the  only 
solution,  usually  in  the  shape  of  a  shoe  rub- 
ber with  canvas  tops.  Truth  to  tell,  melting 
snow  is  generally  so  very  cold  that  you  will 
be  little  troubled  with  interior  condensation. 
Likewise  many  years'  experience  in  grouse 
hunting  through  the  thickets  and  swamps  of 
Michigan  drove  me  finally  to  light  hip  rub- 
ber boots.  The  time  ^. -  as  always  the  autumn ; 
the  place  was  always  more  or  less  muddy  and 
wet — in  spots  of  course — and  there  was 
always  the  greater  or  lesser  possibility  of 
52 


PERSONAL    EQUIPMENT 

snow.  My  native  town  was  a  great  grouse 
shooting  center,  and  all  hunters,  old  and 
young,  came  to  the  same  conclusion. 

rBut  wet  snow,  such  hunting,  and  of 
coi  ''se  the  duck  marsh,  seem  to  me  the  only 
excuses  for  rubber.  Trout  fishing  is  more 
comfortable  in  woolen  than  in  waders.  The 
latter  are  clumsy  and  hot.  I  have  known 
of  two  instances  of  drowning  because  the 
victims  were  weighted  down  by  them.  And 
I  should  much  prefer  getting  wet  from 
without  than  from  within. 

You  will  have  your  choice  of  three  kinds 
of  moccasin — the  oil-tanned  shoe  pac,  the 
deerhide,  and  the  moosehide. 

The  shoe  pac  is  about  as  waterproof  as  Shoe  Pacs 
the  average  waterproof  shoe,  and  would  be 
the  best  for  all  purposes  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  its  very  imperviosity  renders  it  too 
hot.  In  addition  continuous  wear  affects 
the  oil  in  the  tanning  process  to  produce 
rather  an  evil  odor.  The  shoe  pacs  are  very 
useful,  however,  and  where  I  carry  but  two 
pairs  of  moccasins,  one  is  of  the  oil  tan. 

53 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

Shoe  pacs  can  be  purchased  of  any  sporting 
goods  dealer. 

The  deerhide  moccasin,  in  spite  of  its 
thinner  texture,  wears  about  as  well  as  the 
moosehide,  is  less  bulky  to  carry,  but 
stretches  more  when  wet  and  is  not  as  easy 
on  the  feet.  I  use  either  sort  as  I  happen 
to  get  hold  of  them.  Genuine  buckskin  or 
moose  is  rather  scarce.  Commercial  mocca- 
sins with  the  porcupine  quills, and  "Souvenir 
of  Mackinaw"  on  them  are  made  by  machin- 
ery out  of  sheepskin.  They  are  absolutely 
useless,  and  last  about  long  enough  to  get 
out  of  sight  of  the  shop.  A  great  majority 
of  the  moccasins  sold  as  sportsman's  supplies 
are  likewise  very  bogus.  My  own  wear  I 
have  always  purchased  of  Hudson's  Bay 
posts.  Undoubtedly  many  reliable  firms 
carry  them;  but  I  happen  to  know  by  per- 
sonal experience  that  the  Putman  Boot  Com- 
pany of  Minneapolis  have  the  real  thing. 

Proceeding  to  more  outer  garments,  a 
waistcoat  is  a  handy  affair.  In  warm 
weather  you  leave  it  open  and  hardly  know 

54 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

you  have  it  on;  in  cold  weather  you  button 
it  up,  and  it  affords  excellent  protection. 
Likewise  it  possesses  the  advantage  of 
numerous  pockets.  These  you  will  have 
your  women  folk  extend  and  deepen  for 
you,  until  your  compass,  notebook,  pipe, 
matches,  and  so  forth  fit  nicely  in  them.  As 
it  is  to  be  used  as  an  outside  garment,  have 
the  back  lined.  If  you  have  shot  enough 
deer  to  get  around  to  waistcoats,  nothing 
could  be  better  by  way  of  material  than  the 
ever-useful  buckskin. 

I  am  no  believer  in  waterproof  garments,  *  «rproo  s 
Once  I  owned  a  pantasote  outer  coat  which 
I  used  to  assume  whenever  it  rained.  Ordi- 
narily when  it  is  warm  enough  to  rain,  it  is 
warm  enough  to  cause  you  to  perspire  under 
the  exertion  of  walking  in  a  pantasote  coat. 
This  I  discovered.  Shortly  I  would  get  wet, 
and  would  be  quite  unable  to  decide  whether 
the  rain  had  soaked  through  from  the  out- 
side or  I  had  soaked  through  from  the  inside. 
After  that  I  gave  the  coat  away  to  a  man 
who  had  not  tried  it,  and  was  happy.    If  I 

55 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

must  walk  in  the  rain  I  prefer  to  put  on  a 
sweater — the  rough  wool  of  which  will  turn 
water  for  some  time  and  the  texture  of 
which  allows  ventilation.  Then  the  chances 
are  that  even  if  I  soak  through  I  do  not 
get  a  reactionary  chill  from  becoming  over- 
heated. 

Ponchos  jjj  camp  you  will  know  enough  to  go  in 
when  it  rains.  When  you  have  to  sally  forth 
you  will  thrust  your  head  through  the  hole 
in  the  middle  of  your  rubber  blanket. 
When  thus  equipped  the  rubber  blanket  is 
known  as  a  poncho,  and  is  most  useful  be- 
cause it  can  be  used  for  two  purposes. 

Slickers  Horseback  in  a  rainy  country  is,  however, 
a  different  matter.  There  transportation  is 
not  on  your  back,  but  another's ;  and  sitting 
a  horse  is  not  violent  exercise.  Some  people 
like  a  poncho.  I  have  always  found  its 
lower  edge  cold,  clumsy,  and  wet,  much  in- 
clined to  blow  about,  and  apt  to  soak  your 
knees  and  the  seat  of  your  saddle.  The 
cowboy  slicker  cannot  be  improved  upon.  It 
is  different  in  build  from  the  ordinary  oil- 
56 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

skin.  Call  for  a  "pommel  slicker,"  and  be 
sure  it  is  apparently  about  two  sizes  too 
large  for  you.  Thus  you  will  cover  your 
legs.  Should  you  be  forced  to  walk,  a  belt 
around  your  waist  will  always  enable  you  to 
tuck  it  up  like  a  comic  opera  king.  It  is 
sure  ludicrous  to  view,  but  that  does  not 
matter. 

Apropos  of  protecting  your  legs,  there  Chaparejos 
remains  still  the  question  of  chaparejos  or 
chaps.  Unless  you  are  likely  to  be  called  on 
to  ride  at  some  speed  through  thorny  brush, 
or  unless  you  expect  to  ride  very  wet  indeed, 
they  are  a  useless  affectation.  The  cowboy 
needs  them  because  he  does  a  great  deal  of 
riding  of  the  two  kinds  just  mentioned. 
Probably  you  will  not.  I  have  had  perhaps 
a  dozen  occasions  to  put  them  on.  If  you 
must  have  them,  get  either  oil-tanned  or 
hair  chaps.  Either  of  these  sheds  water  like 
a  tin  roof.  The  hair  chaps  will  not  last  long 
in  a  thorny  country. 

You   will   need   furthermore    a   pair   of 
gloves  of  some  sort,  not  for  constant  wear, 

57 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

nor  merely  for  warmth,  but  to  protect  you 
in  the  handhng  of  pack  ropes,  lead  ropes, 
and  cooking  utensils.  A  good  buckskin 
gauntlet  is  serviceable,  as  the  cuffs  keep  the 
cold  breezes  from  playing  along  your  fore- 
arm to  your  shoulder,  and  exclude  the  dust. 
When  you  can  get  hold  of  the  army  gaunt- 
let, as  you  sometimes  can  in  the  military 
stores,  buy  them.  Lacking  genuine  buck- 
skin, the  lighter  grades  of  "asbestos"  yellow 
Glovei  i^j^  ^j.g  ^jjg  ]^gg|.  They  cost  about  two  dol- 
lars. To  my  notion  a  better  rig  is  an  ordi- 
nary pair  of  short  gloves,  supplemented  by 
the  close-fitting  leather  cuffs  of  a  cowboy's 
outfit.  The  latter  hold  the  wrist  snugly, 
exclude  absolutely  chill  and  dirt,  and  in 
addition  save  wear  and  soiling  of  the  shii't 
cuff.  They  do  not  pick  up  twigs,  leaves, 
and  rubbish  funnel  wise,  as  a  gauntlet  cuff  is 
apt  to  do. 

That,  I  think,  completes  your  wearing 
apparel.  Let  us  now  take  up  the  contents 
of  your  pockets,  and  your  other  personal 
belongings. 

68 


PERSONAL    EQUIPMENT 


SUMMARY 


Minimum  for  comfort 

Felt  hat 
Silk  kerchief 
Waistcoat 
Buckskin  shirt  or 

sweater 
Gray  flapnel  shirt 

2  undershirts  and 
drawers 

Trousers— buckskin 
over  khaki 

3  pairs  heavy  socks 
3  pairs  iiiocca.sins 

or 
1  pair  bpots 
1  pair  moccasins 
Gloves  and  leather 
cuffs 


Maximum 

Felt  hat 

Silk  kerchief 

Waistcoat 

Buckskin  shirt  and 
sweater 

Gray  flannel  shirt 

2  undershirts,  3  draw- 
ers (includes  one 
suit  you  wear) 

Trousers 

4  pairs  socks 

1  pair  boots 

Moccasins 

Slicker 

Gloves  and  leather 
cuffs 


59 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

(CONTINUED) 


CHAPTER   IV 

PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

{Continued) 

MATCHES,  knife,  and  a  compass  are  Matches 
the  three  indispensables.  By  way  of 
ignition  you  will  take  a  decided  step 
backward  from  present-day  civilization  in 
that  you  will  pin  your  faith  to  the  old  sulphur 
"eight-day"  matches  of  your  fathers.  This 
for  several  reasons.  In  the  first  place  they 
come  in  blocks,  unseparated,  which  are  eas- 
ily carried  without  danger  of  rubbing  one 
against  the  other.  In  the  second  place,  they 
take  up  about  a  third  the  room  the  same  num- 
ber of  wooden  matches  would  require.  In 
the  third  place,  they  are  easier  to  light  in  a 
wind,  for  they  do  not  flash  up  and  out,  but 
persist.  And  finally,  if  wet,  they  can  be 
spread  out  and  dried  in  the  sun,  which  is  the 
most  important  of  all.  So  buy  you  a  nickel's 
worth  of  sulphur  matches. 

63 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

Match  The  main  supply  you  will  pack  in  some 

®*  sort  of  waterproof  receptacle.  I  read  a 
story  recently  in  which  a  man  was  recognized 
as  a  true  woodsman  because  he  carried  his 
matches  in  a  bottle.  He  must  have  had  good 
luck.  The  cardinal  principle  of  packing  is 
never  to  carry  any  glassware.  Ninety  and 
nine  days  it  may  pass  safely,  but  the  hun- 
dredth will  smash  it  as  sure  as  some  people's 
shooting.  And  then  you  have  jam,  or  chili 
powder,  or  syrup,  or  whiskey,  all  over  the 
place — or  else  no  matches.  Any  good  screw 
top  can — or  better  still,  two  telescoping 
tubes — is  infinitely  better. 

The  day's  supply  you  will  put  in  your 
pocket.  A  portion  can  go  in  a  small  water- 
proof match  safe ;  but  as  it  is  a  tremendous 
nuisance  to  be  opening  such  a  contrivance 
every  time  you  want  a  smoke,  I  should 
advise  you  to  stick  a  block  in  your  waistcoat 
pocket,  where  you  can  get  at  them  easily. 
If  you  are  going  a-wading,  and  pockets  are 
precarious,  you  will  find  your  hat  band 
handy. 

64 


One  of  the  mishaps  to  be  expected 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

The  waterproof  pocket  safe  is  numerous 
on  the  market.  A  ten-gauge  brass  shell  will 
just  chamber  a  twelve-gauge.  Put  your 
matches  in  the  twelve-gauge,  and  telescope 
the  ten  over  it.  Abercrombie  &  Fitch,  of 
New  York,  make  a  screw  top  safe  of  rubber, 
which  has  the  great  advantage  of  floating  if 
dropped,  but  it  is  too  bulky  and  the  edges 
are  too  sharp.  The  Marble  safe,  made  by 
the  Marble  Axe  Company,  is  ingenious  and 
certainly  waterproof;  but  if  it  gets  bent  in 
the  slightest  degree,  it  jams,  and  you  can 
no  longer  screw  it  shut.  Therefore  I  con- 
sider it  useless  for  this  reason.  A  very  con- 
venient and  cheap  emergency  contrivance  is 
the  flint  and  steel  pocket  cigar  lighter  to  be 
had  at  most  cigar  stores.  With  it  as  a  re- 
serve you  are  sure  of  a  fire  no  matter  how 
wet  the  catastrophe. 

Y  jur  knife  should  be  a  medium  size  two-    Knivw 
bladed  aiFair,  of  the  best  quality.    Do  not 
get  it  too  large  and  heavy.  You  can  skin  and 
quarter  a  deer  with  an  ordinary  jackknife. 
Avoid  the  "kit"  knives.    They  are  mighty 

65 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

handy  contraptions.  I  owned  one  with  two 
blades,  a  thoroughly  practicable  can  opener, 
an  awl  or  punch,  a  combined  reamer,  nail 
pull  and  screwdriver,  and  a  corkscrew.  It 
was  a  delight  for  as  long  as  it  lasted.  The 
trouble  with  such  knives  is  that  they  are  too 
round,  so  that  sooner  or  later  they  are  abso- 
lutely certain  to  roll  out  of  your  pocket  and 
be  lost.  It  makes  no  difference  how  your 
pockets  are  constructed,  nor  how  careful  you 
are,  that  result  is  inevitable.  Then  you  will 
feel  badly — and  go  back  to  your  old  flat  two- 
bladed  implement  that  you  simply  cannot 
lose. 
Sheath  ^  butchcr  knife  of  good  make  is  one  of 
the  best  and  cheapest  of  sheath  knives.  The 
common  mistake  among  amateur  hunters  is 
that  of  buying  too  heavy  a  knife  with  too 
thick  a  blade.  Unless  you  expect  to  indulge 
in  hand  to  hand  conflicts,  or  cut  brush,  such 
a  weapon  is  excessive.  I  myself  have  carried 
for  the  last  seven  years  a  rather  thin  and 
broad  blade  made  by  the  Marble  Axe  Com- 
pany on  the  butcher  knife  pattern.  This 
6& 


Knives 


PERSONAL    EQUIPMENT 

company  advertises  in  its  catalogue  a  knife 
as  used  by  myself.  They  are  mistaken.  The 
knife  I  mean  is  a  longer  bladed  affair,  called 
a  "kitchen  or  camp  knife."  It  is  a  most 
excellent  piece  of  steel,  holds  an  edge  well, 
and  is  useful  alike  as  a  camp  and  hunt- 
ing knife.  The  fact  that  I  have  killed  some 
thirty-four  wild  boars  with  it  shows  that  it 
is  not  to  be  despised  as  a  weapon. 

Your  compass  should  be  large  enough  for  impasses 
accuracy,  with  a  jewel  movement.  Such  an 
instrument  can  be  purchased  for  from  one 
to  two  dollars.  It  is  sheer  extravagance  to 
go  in  for  anything  more  expensive  unless 
you  are  a  yachtsman  or  intend  to  run  survey 
lines. 

I  have  hesitated  much  before  deciding  to  q^*"^^ 
say  anything  whatever  of  the  sporting  out- 
fit. The  subject  has  been  so  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed by  men  so  much  more  competent  than 
myself;  there  are  so  many  theories  with 
which  I  confess  myself  not  at  all  conversant, 
and  my  own  experience  has  been  so  limited 
in  the  variety  of  weapons  and  tackle,  that  I 

67 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

hardly  felt  qualified  to  speak.  However,  I 
reflected  that  this  whole  series  of  articles 
does  not  pretend  to  be  in  any  way  authorita- 
tive, nor  does  it  claim  to  present  the  only  or 
the  best  equipment  in  any  branch  of  wilder- 
ness travel,  but  only  to  set  forth  the  results 
of  my  own  twenty  years  more  or  less  of 
pretty  steady  outdoor  life.  So  likewise  it 
may  interest  the  reader  to  hear  about  the 
contents  of  my  own  gunrack,  even  though 
he  himself  would  have  chosen  much  more 
wisely. 
My  Rifle  jyfy  pjflg  jg  ^  .30-.40  box  magazine  Win- 
chester, with  Lyman  sights.  This  I  have 
heard  is  not  a  particularly  accurate  gun. 
Also  it  is  stated  that  after  a  few  hundred 
shots  it  becomes  still  more  inaccurate  because 
of  a  residue  which  only  special  process  can 
remove  from  the  rifling.  This  may  be.  I 
only  know  that  my  own  rifle  to-day,  after 
ten  years'  service,  will  still  shoot  as  closely 
as  I  know  how  to  hold  it,  although  it  has 
sixty-four  notches  on  its  stock  and  has  prob- 
ably been  fired  first  and  last — at  big  game, 

68 


PERSONAL    EQUIPMENT 

small  game,  and  targets — upward  of  a  thou- 
sand times.  I  use  the  Lyman  aperture  sight 
except  in  the  dusk  of  evening,  when  a  fold- 
ing bar  sight  takes  its  place.  At  the  time  I 
bought  this  rifle  the  .33  and  .35  had  not  been 
issued,  and  I  thought,  and  still  think,  the 
.30-.30  too  light  for  sure  work  on  any  animal 
larger  than  a  deer.  I  have  never  used  the 
.35,  but  like  the  .33  very  much.  The  old 
low-power  guns  I  used  to  shoot  a  great  deal, 
but  have  not  for  some  years. 

The  handiest  weapon  for  a  woods  trip  Pistol  a 
where  small  game  is  plentiful  is  a  single-shot  weapon 
pistol.  Mine  is  a  Smith  &  Wesson,  blued, 
six-inch  barrel,  shooting  the  .22  caliber  long- 
rifle  cartridge.  An  eight-inch  barrel  is  com- 
monly offered  by  the  sporting  dealers,  but 
the  six-inch  is  practically  as  accurate,  and 
less  cumbersome  to  carry.  The  ammunition 
is  compact  and  light.  With  this  little  pistol 
I  have  killed  in  plenty  ducks,  geese,  grouse, 
and  squirrels,  so  that  at  times  I  have  gone 
two  or  three  months  without  the  necessity  of 
shooting  a  larger  weapon.  Such  a  pistol 
69 


Revolver 
Experiences 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

takes  practice,  however,  and  a  certain  knack. 
You  must  keep  at  it  until  you  can  get  four 
out  of  five  bullets  in  a  three-inch  bull's-eye 
at  twenty  yards  before  you  can  even  hope 
to  accomplish  much  in  the  field. 

My  six-shooter  is  a  A5  Colt,  New  Service 
model.  It  is  fitted  with  Lyman  revolver 
sights.  Originally  it  was  a  self-cocker,  but 
I  took  out  the  dog  and  converted  it  to  sin- 
gle action.  The  trigger  pull  on  the  double 
action  is  too  heavy  for  me,  and  when  I  came 
to  file  it  down,  I  found  the  double  action 
caused  a  double  jerk  disconcerting  to  steady 
holding.  Now  it  goes  off  smoothly  and 
almost  at  a  touch — the  only  conditions  under 
which  I  can  do  much  with  a  revolver.  It  is 
a  very  reliable  weapon  indeed,  balances  bet- 
ter than  the  single-action  model,  and  pos- 
sesses great  smashing  power.  I  have  killed 
three  deer  in  their  tracks  with  it,  and  much 
smaller  game.  This  summer,  however,  I 
had  the  opportunity  of  shooting  a  good  deal 
with  two  I  like  better.  One  is  the  Officer's 
Model  Colt,  chambered  to  shoot  inter- 
70 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

changeably  either  the  .38  Colt  long  or  short, 
or  the  .38  Smith  &  Wesson  special.  In  fin- 
ish it  is  a  beautiful  weapon,  its  grip  fits  the 
hand,  its  action  is  smooth,  and  it  is  wonder- 
fully accurate.  The  other  is  the  special  tar- 
get .44  Russian.  The  automatics  I  do  not 
care  for  simply  because  I  never  learned  to 
shoot  with  the  heavier  trigger  pull  necessary 
to  their  action. 

I  have  two  shotguns.  One  I  have  shot 
twenty-one  years.  It  has  killed  thousands 
of  game  birds,  is  a  hard  hitter,  throws  an 
excellent  pattern,  and  is  as  strong  and  good 
as  the  day  it  was  bought.  I  use  it  to-day  for 
every  sort  of  shooting  except  ducks,  though 
often  I  have  had  it  in  the  blinds  lacking  the 
heavier  weapon.  It  is  doubtful  if  there  are 
in  use  to-day  many  guns  with  longer  service, 
counting  not  so  much  the  mere  years  of  its 
performance,  as  the  actual  amount  of  hunt- 
ing it  has  done.  The  time  of  its  construction 
was  before  the  days  of  the  hammerless.  It 
was  made  by  W.  &  C.  Scott  &  Sons,  is  16 
gauge,  and  cost  $125.    My  other  is  a  heavily 

71 


Shot  Guns 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

choked  Parker  twelve.     It  I  use  for  wild 
fowl,  and  occasionally  at  the  trap. 

The  main  point  with  guns,  no  matter  what 
the  kind,  is  to  keep  them  in  good  shape. 
After  shooting,  clean  them,  no  matter  how 
tired  you  may  be.  It  is  no  great  labor.  In 
the  field  a  string  cleaner  will  do  the  business, 
but  at  once  when  you  get  to  permanent 
camp  use  a  rod  and  elbow  grease.  In  a 
damp  country,  oil  them  afresh  every  day; 
so  they  will  give  you  good  service.  The 
barrels  of  my  16  are  as  bright  as  new.  The 
cleaning  rods  you  can  put  in  your  leather 
fishing-rod  case. 
Duffle  Bags  js^^^  all  these  things  of  which  we  have 
made  mention  must  be  transported.  The 
duffle  bag  is  the  usual  receptacle  for  them. 
It  should  be  of  some  heavy  material,  water- 
proofed, and  should  not  be  too  large.  A 
good  one  is  of  pantasote,  with  double  top 
to  tie.  One  of  these  went  the  length  of  a 
rapids,  and  was  fished  out  without  having 
shipped  a  drop.  On  a  horseback  trip,  how- 
ever, such  a  contrivance  is  at  once  unneces- 

72 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

sary  and  difficult  to  pack.  It  is  too  long  and 
stiff  to  go  easily  in  the  kyacks,  and  does  not 
agree  well  with  the  bedding  on  top. 

This  is  really  no  great  matter.  The  heavy 
kyacks,  and  the  tarpaulin  over  everything, 
furnish  all  needed  protection  against  wet 
and  abrasion.  A  bag  of  some  thinner  and 
more  pliable  material  is  quite  as  good. 
Brown  denim,  unbleached  cotton,  or  even  a 
clean  flour  sack,  are  entirely  adequate.  You 
will  find  it  handy  to  have  them  built  with 
puckering  strings.  The  strings  so  employed 
will  not  get  lost,  and  can  be  used  as  a  loop 
tD  hang  the  outfit  from  a  branch  when  in 
camp. 

A  similar  but  smaller  bag  is  useful  to  be  T**^** 

^  Articles 

reserved  entirely  as  a  toilet  bag.    Tar  soap 

in  a  square — not  round — celluloid  case  is  the 

most  cleansing.     A  heavy  rubber  band  will 

hold  the  square  case  together.^     The  tooth 

brush  should  also  have  its  case.    Tooth  wash 

comes  in  glass,  which  is  taboo ;  tooth  powder 

^Kephart,  in  his  excellent  book  on  Camping  and  Wood' 
craft,  suggests  carrying  soap  in  a  rubber  tobacco  pouch.  This 
is  a  good  idea. 

73 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

is  sure  sooner  or  later  to  leak  out.  I  like  best 
any  tooth  soap  which  is  sold  in  handy  fiat 
tin  boxes,  and  cannot  spill.  If  you  are  sensi- 
ble you  will  not  be  tenderfoot  enough  to  go 
in  for  the  discomfort  of  a  new  beard. 
Razors  can  be  kept  from  rusting  by  wrap- 
ping them  in  a  square  of  surgeon's  oiled  silk. 
Have  your  towel  of  brown  crash — never  of 
any  white  material.  The  latter  is  so  closely 
woven  that  dirt  gets  into  the  very  fiber  of  it, 
and  cannot  be  washed  out.  Crash,  however, 
is  of  looser  texture,  softens  quickly,  and  does 
not  show  every  speck  of  dust.  If  you  have 
the  room  for  it,  a  rough  towel,  while  not 
absolutely  necessary,  is  nevertheless  a  great 
luxury. 
Medicine!  ^y  ^^y  ^f  medicines,  stick  to  the  tablet 
form.  A  strong  compact  medicine  case  is 
.  .  not  expensive.  It  should  contain  antiseptics, 
^'^  ^/C— permanganate  for  snake  bites,  a  laxative, 
^  cholera  remedy,  quinine,  and  morphine.    In 

addition  antiseptic  bandages  and  rubber  or 
■J  I      »^' 
fjCLv^  >r^.  surgeon's  plaster  should  be  wrapped  in  oiled 

^  txrvxcXj^.;  silk  and  included  in  the  duffle  outfit. 


PERSONAL   EQUIPMENT 

The  fly  problem  is  serious  in  some  sections 
of  the  country  and  at  some  times  of  year.  A 
head  net  is  sometimes  useful  about  camp  or 
riding  in  the  open — never  when  walking  in 
the  woods.  The  ordinary  mosquito  bar  is 
too  fragile.  One  of  bobbinet  that  fits  in- 
geniously is  very  effective.  This  and  gloves 
will  hold  you  immune — but  you  cannot 
smoke,  nor  spit  on  the  bait. 

The  two  best  fly  dopes  of  the  many  I  have  piy  Dopes 
tried  are  a  commercial  mixture  called  "lolla- 
capop,"  and  Nessmuk's  formula.  The  lolla- 
capop  comes  in  tin  boxes,  and  so  is  handy  to 
carry,  but  does  not  wear  quite  as  well  as  the 
other.    Nessmuk's  dope  is: 

Oil  pine  tar 3  parts 

Castor  oil  .....     2  parts 

Oil  pennyroyal  ...         .1  part 

It  is  most  efl'ective.  A  dab  on  each  cheek 
and  one  behind  each  ear  will  repel  the  fly 
of  average  voracity,  while  a  full  coating 
will  save  you  in  the  worst  circumstances.  A 
single  dose  will  last  until  next  wash  time. 
It  is  best  carried  in  the  tiny  "one  drink" 

75 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

Fly  Dopes  whiskey  flasks,  holding,  I  suppose,  two  or 
three  ounces.  One  flask  full  will  last  you 
all  summer.  At  first  the  pine  tar  smell  will 
bother  you,  but  in  a  short  time  you  will  get 
to  like  it.  It  will  call  up  to  your  memory 
the  reaches  of  trout  streams,  and  the  tall  still 
aisles  of  the  forests. 


SUMMARY 


Minimum  for  comfort 
Matches  and  safe 
Pocket  knife  (2  blade) 
Sheath  knife 
Compass 
1  bandana 
Sporting  outfit 
Duffle  bag 
Soap  and  case 
Crash  towel 
Tooth  brush 
Tooth  soap 

Shaving  set  in  oiled  silk 
Medicines  and  bandages 
Fly  dope  (sometimes) 


Maximum 
Matches  and  safe 
Pocket  knife 
Sheath  knife 
Compass 
2  bandanas 
Sporting  outfit 
Duffle  bag 
Soap  and  case 
Crash  towel 
Bath  towel 
Tooth  brush 
Tooth  soap 

Shaving  set  in  oiled  silk 
Medicines  and  bandages 
Fly  dope  and  head  net 


76 


CAMP   OUTFIT 


CHAPTER   V 

CAMP  OUTFIT 

IN  many  sections  of  the  country  you  will  ®"*^ 
need  a  tent,  even  when  traveling  afoot. 
Formerly  a  man  had  to  make  a  choice 
between  canvas,  which  is  heavy  but  fairly 
waterproof,  and  drill,  which  is  light  but 
flimsy.  A  seven  by  seven  duck  tent  weighs 
fully  twenty-five  pounds  when  dry,  and  a 
great  many  more  when  wet.  It  will  shed 
rain  as  long  as  you  do  not  hit  against  it.  A 
touch  on  the  inside,  however,  will  often  start 
a  trickle  at  the  point  of  contact.  Altogether 
it  is  unsatisfactory,  and  one  does  not  wonder 
than  many  men  prefer  to  knock  together 
bark  shelters. 

Nowadays,  however,  another  and  better 
material  is  to  be  had.  It  is  the  stuff  balloons 
are  made  of,  and  is  called  balloon  silk.  I 
believe,  for  shelter  purposes,  it  undergoes 
a  further  waterproofing  process,  but  of  this 

79 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

Tent  I  am  not  certain.    A  tent  of  the  size  men- 

**^'         tioned,    instead     of    weighing     twenty-five 

pounds,  pulls  the  scales  down  at  about  eight. 

Furthermore,  it  does  not  absorb  moisture,  and 

is  no  heavier  when  wet  than  when  dry.    One 


"-4"  Tent  Pitched  as  Shelter, 

can  touch  the  inside  all  he  wishes  without  ren- 
dering it  pervious.  The  material  is  tough 
and  enduring. 

I  have  one  which  I  have  used  hard  for 
five  years,  not  only  as  a  tent,  but  as  a  canoe 
lining,  a  sod  cloth,  a  tarpaulin,  and  a  pack 
canvas.  To-day  it  is  as  serviceable  as  ever, 
and  excepting  for  inevitable  soiling,  two 
small  patches  represents  its  entire  wear  and 
tear. 

80 


CAMP    OUTFIT 

Abercrombie  &  Fitch,  who  make  this  tent, 
will  try  to  persuade  you,  if  you  demand  pro- 
tection against  mosquitoes,  to  let  them  sew 
on  a  sod-cloth  of  bobbinet  and  a  loose  long 
curtain  of  the  same  material  to  cover  the 


"A"  Tent  Pitched  Between  Two  Trees, 

entrance.    Do  not  allow  it.    The  rig  is  all 

right  as  long  as  there  are  plenty  of  flies. 

But  suppose  you  want  to  use  the  tent  in  a  Don't  Use  a 

flyless  land?     There  still  blocks  your  way  Tent 

.  Curtain 

that  confounded  curtain  of  bobbinet,  fitting 
tightly  enough  so  that  you  have  almost  to 
crawl  when  you  enter,  and  so  arranged  that 
it  is  impossible  to  hang  it  up  out  of  the  way. 
The  tent  itself  is  all  right,  but  its  fly  rigging 
is  all  wrong. 

81 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

Best  Tent  I  have  found  that  a  second  tent  built  of 

Protection       cheesecloth,  and  without  any  opening  what- 

fromFUes  ,  J      i-  & 

ever,  is  the  best  scheme.  Tapes  are  sewn 
along  its  ridge.  These  you  tie  to  the  ridge 
pole  or  rope  of  the  tent — on  the  inside  of 
course.      The    cheesecloth    structure    thus 


"A"  Tent  Pitched  on  Treeless  Ground. 

hangs  straight  down.  When  not  in  use  it  is 
thrust  to  one  side  or  the  other.  If  flies  get 
thick,  you  simply  go  inside  and  spread  it 
out.  It  should  be  made  somewhat  larger  in 
the  wall  than  the  tent  so  that  you  can  weight 
its  lower  edge  with  fishing  rods,  rifles,  boots, 
sticks,  or  rocks.  Nothing  can  touch  you. 
The  proper  shape  for  a  tent  is  a  matter 
82 


CAMP    OUTFIT 

of  some  discussion.  Undoubtedly  the  lean- 
to  is  the  ideal  shelter  so  far  as  warmth  goes. 
You  build  your  fire  in  front,  the  slanting 
wall  reflects  the  heat  down  and  you  sleep 
warm  even  in  winter  weather.  In  practice, 
however,  the  lean-to  is  not  always  an  undi- 


Method  of  Tightening  Rope. 

luted  joy.  Flies  can  get  in  for  one  thing, 
and  a  heavy  rainstorm  can  suck  around  the 
corner  for  another.  In  these  circumstances 
four  walls  are  highly  desirable. 

On  the  other  hand  a  cold  snap  makes  a 
wall  tent  into  a  cold  storage  vault.  Tent 
stoves  are  little  devils.  They  are  either  red 
hot  or  stone  cold,  and  even  when  doing  their 

83 


Shape  of 
Tent 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

best,  there  is  always  a  northwest  corner  that 

decHnes  to  be  thawed  out.    A  man  feels  the 

need  of  a  camp  fire,  properly  constructed. 

"A"  Tent        Por  three  seasons  I  have  come  ecradually 

the  Best  .       .  &  J 

to  thinking  that  an  A  or  wedge  tent  is  about 
the  proper  thing.  In  event  of  that  rain- 
storm or  those  flies  its  advantages  are  obvi- 
ous. When  a  cold  snap  comes  along,  you 
simply  pull  up  the  stakes  along  one  side, 
tie  the  loops  of  that  wall  to  the  same  stakes 
that  hold  down  the  other  wall — and  there  is 
your  lean-to  all  ready  for  the  fire. 

When  you  get  your  tent  made,  have  them 
insert  grommets  in  each  peak.  Through 
these  you  will  run  a  light  line.  By  tying 
each  end  of  the  line  to  a  tree  or  sapling,  stak- 
ing out  the  four  corners  of  your  tent,  and 
then  tightening  the  line  by  wedging  under  it 
(and  outside  the  tent,  of  course)  a  forked 
pole,  your  tent  is  up  in  a  jiify.  Where  you 
cannot  find  two  trees  handily  placed,  poles 
crossed  make  good  supports  front  and  rear. 
The  line  passes  over  them  and  to  a  stake  in 
the  ground.  These  are  quick  pitches  for  a 
84 


CAMP    OUTFIT 

brief  stop.  By  such  methods  an  A  tent  is 
erected  as  quickly  as  a  "pyramid,"  a  miner's, 
or  any  of  the  others.  In  permanent  camp, 
you  will  cut  poles  and  do  a  shipshape  job. 

Often,  however,  you  will  not  need  to  bur-  Tarpaulins 
den  yourself  with  even  as  light  a  tent  as  I 


f^J^^\}^^<2?.. 

■SSf^^^^^TfP^ 

"••^it*>;l';>'i  JSil^  '■ 

":-:l;'^.J^?-^--.'-'>''' -•-•.. 

•\^:,'-^;"-":'  ■vc:;:-!';:^^--/-'^;; 

Pt^^^^^'^       "-^^     ■ 

Tarpavlin, 
Open  and  Folded. 


^^fMia-:' 


■  H>  -.rvd^ 


hm 


have  described.  This  is  especially  true  on 
horseback  trips  in  the  mountains.  There 
you  will  carry  a  tarpaulin.  This  is  a  strip 
of  canvas  or  pantasote  6  x  16  or  17  feet. 
During  the  daytime  it  is  folded  and  used  to 
protect  the  top  packs  from  dust,  wet,  and 

85 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

abrasion.    At  night  you  spread  it,  make  your 

bed  on  one  half  of  it,  and  fold  the  other  half 

over  the  outside.     This   arrangement  will 

Uses  of  the  f^nd  quite  a  shower.     In  case  of  continued 

Tarpaulin  ^ 

or  heavy  rain,  you  stretch  a  pack  rope  be- 
tween two  trees  or  crossed  poles,  and  suspend 
the  tarp  over  it  tent  wise,  tying  down  the 
corners  by  means  of  lead  ropes.  Two  tarps 
make  a  commodious  tent.  If  you  happen  to 
be  alone,  a  saddle  blanket  will  supplement 
the  tarp  to  give  some  sort  of  protection  to 
your  feet,  and,  provided  it  is  stretched 
tightly,  will  shed  quite  a  downpour. 

The  tarp,  as  I  have  said,  should  measure 
6x16.  If  of  canvas,  do  not  get  it  too  heavy, 
as  then  it  will  be  stiff  and  hard  to  handle. 
About  10-ounce  duck  is  the  proper  thing. 
After  you  have  bought  it,  lay  it  out  on  the 
floor  folded  once,  as  it  will  be  when  you 
have  made  your  bed  in  it.  To  the  lower 
half  and  on  both  edges,  as  it  lies  there,  sew  a 
half  dozen  snap  hooks.  To  the  upper  can- 
vas, but  about  six  inches  in  from  the  edge, 
sew  corresponding  rings  for  the  snap  hooks. 
86 


CAMP    OUTFIT 

Thus  on  a  cold  night  you  can  bundle  your- 
self in  without  leaving  cracks  along  the  edges 
to  admit  the  chilly  air. 

In  the  woods  you  will  want  furthermore 
a  rubber  blanket.  This  is  unnecessary  when 
the  tarpaulin  is  used.  Buy  a  good  poncho. 
Poor  quality  sticks  badly  should  it  chance 
to  become  overheated  by  the  sun. 

A  six  or  seven  pound  blanket  of  the  best 
quality  is  heavy  enough.  The  gray  army 
blanket,  to  be  purchased  sometimes  at  the 
military  stores,  is  good,  as  is  also  the  "three- 
point"  blanket  issued  by  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  The  cost  is  from  $6  to  $8.  One 
is  enough.  You  will  find  that  another  suit 
of  underwear  is  as  warm  as  an  extra  blan- 
ket, and  much  easier  to  carry.  Sleeping 
bags  I  do  not  care  for.  They  cannot  be 
drawn  closely  to  the  body,  and  the  resulting 
air  space  is  difficult  to  warm  up.  A  blanket 
you  can  hug  close  to  you,  thus  retaining  all 
the  animal  heat.  Beside  which  a  sleeping  bag 
is  heavier  and  more  of  a  bother  to  keep 
well  aired.    If  you  like  the  thing  occasion- 

87 


Rubber 
Blankets 


Blankets 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

ally,  a  few  horse  blanket  pins  will  make  one 
of  your  blanket. 

To  Sleep  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  book  to  deal 
with  equipments  rather  than  with  methods. 
There  are  a  great  many  very  competent 
treatises  telling  you  how  to  build  your 
fire,  pitch  your  tent,  and  all  the  rest  of 
it.  I  have  never  seen  described  the  woods- 
men's method  of  using  a  blanket,  how- 
ever. Lie  flat  on  your  back.  Spread  the 
blanket  over  you.  Now  raise  your  legs  rigid 
from  the  hip,  the  blanket  of  course  draping 
over  them.  In  two  swift  motions  tuck  first 
one  edge  under  your  legs  from  right  to  left, 
then  the  second  edge  under  from  left  to 
right,  and  over  the  first  edge.  Lower  your 
legs,  wrap  up  your  shoulders,  and  go  to 
sleep.  If  you  roll  over,  one  edge  will  un- 
wind but  the  other  will  tighten. 

Quilts  In  the  forest  your  rubber  and  woolen 

blankets  will  comprise  your  bed.  You  will 
soften  it  with  pine  needles  or  balsam.  On  a 
horseback  trip,  however,  it  is  desirable  to 
carry  also  an  ordinary  comforter,  or  quilt, 
88 


CAMP    OUTFIT 

or  "sogun."  You  use  it  under  you.  Folded 
once,  so  as  to  afford  two  thicknesses,  it  goes 
far  toward  softening  granite  country.  By 
way  of  a  gentle  hint,  if  you  will  spread  your 
saddle  blankets  beneath  your  tarp,  they  will 
help  a  lot,  and  you  will  get  none  of  the 
horsey  aroma. 

A  pillow  can  be  made  out  of  a  little  bag  Pillows 
of  muslin  or  cotton  or  denim.  In  it  you 
stuff  an  extra  shirt,  or  your  sweater,  or  some 
such  matter.  A  very  small  "goose  hair" 
pillow  may  be  thrust  between  the  folds  of 
your  blanket  when  you  have  a  pack  horse. 
It  will  not  be  large  enough  all  by  itself,  but 
with  a  sweater  or  a  pair  of  trousers  beneath 
it  will  be  soft  and  easy  to  a  tired  head. 
Have  its  cover  of  brown  denim. 

On  a  pack  trip  a  pail  is  a  necessity  which  P^^ls 
is  not  recognized  in  the  forest,  where  you 
can  dip  your  cup  or  kettle  direct  into  the 
stream.  Most  packers  carry  a  galvanized 
affair,  which  they  turn  upside  down  on  top  of 
the  pack.  There  it  rattles  and  bangs  against 
every  overhead  obstruction  on  the  trail,  and 

89 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 


Wash 
Basins 
and 
Wash  Tubs 


ends  by  being  battered  to  leakiness.  A 
bucket  made  of  heavy  brown  duck,  with  a 
wire  hoop  hemmed  in  by  way  of  rim,  and 
a  light  rope  for  handle  carries  just  as  much 
water,  holds  it  as  well,  and  has  the  great 
advantage  of  collapsing  flat. 

A  wash  basin  built  on  the  same  principle 
is  often  a  veritable  godsend,  and  a  man  can 


Collapsible  Canvas  Bucket 
and  Wash  Basin. 


Folding  Lantern. 


even  carry  a  similar  contrivance  big  enough 
for  a  washtub  without  adding  appreciably 
to  the  bulk  or  weight  of  his  animal's  pack. 
Crushed  flat  all  three  take  up  in  thickness 
about  the  space  of  one  layer  of  blanket,  and 
90 


CAMP    OUTFIT 

the  weight  of  the  lot  is  just  a  pound  and  a 
half. 

The  Stonebridge  folding  candle  lantern  Lanterni 
is  the  best  I  know  of.  It  folds  quite  flat, 
has  four  mica  windows,  and  is  easily  put 
together.  The  measurements,  folded,  are 
only  6x4  inches  by  1-2  inch  thick,  and  its 
weight  but  13  ounces.  The  manufacturers 
make  the  same  lantern  in  aluminum,  but  I 
found  it  too  easily  bent  to  stand  the  rough 
handling  incidental  to  a  horse  trip.  The 
steel  lantern  costs  one  dollar.^ 

If  you  carry  an  axe  at  all,  do  not  try  to  Hatchets 
compromise  on  a  light  one.  I  never  use  such 
an  implement  in  the  woods.  A  light  hatchet 
is  every  bit  as  good  for  the  purpose  of  fire- 
wood, and  better  when  it  is  a  question  of  tent 
poles  or  pegs.  Read  Nessmuk's  Woodcraft 
on  this  subject.  The  Marble  Safety  Axe 
is  the  best,  both  because  of  the  excellent 
steel  used  in  its  manufacture,  and  because  of 
the  ease  of  its  transportation.     I  generally 

^One   is    now    made   of    brass    to    fold    automatically,  at  a 
slightly  higher  price. 

91 


Axes 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

carry  mine  in  my  hip  pocket.  Get  the  metal 
handle  and  heaviest  weight.  I  have  traveled 
a  considerable  part  of  the  Canadian  forests 
with  no  other  implement  of  the  sort. 

On  a  horseback  trip  in  the  mountains, 
however,  this  will  not  suffice.  Often  and 
often  you  will  be  called  on  to  clear  trail,  to 
cut  timber  for  trail  construction  or  to 
make  a  footing  over  some  ultra-tempestuous 
streamlet.  You  might  peck  away  until 
further  orders  with  your  little  hatchet  with- 
out much  luck.  Then  you  need  an  axe — not 
a  "half  axe,"  nor  a  "three-quarter  axe" — ^but 
a  full  five-pound  weapon  with  an  edge  you 
could  shave  with.  And  you  should  know 
how  to  use  it.  "Chewing  a  log  in  two"  is  a 
slow  and  unsatisfactory  business. 

To  keep  this  edge  you  will  carry  a  file 
and  a  water  whetstone.  Use  your  hatchet  as 
much  as  possible,  take  care  of  how  and  what 
you  chop,  and  do  not  wait  until  the  axe  gets 
really  dull  before  having  recourse  to  your  file 
and  stone.  It  is  a  long  distance  to  a  grind- 
stone.   Wes  Thompson  expressed  the  situ- 


CAMP   OUTFIT 


ation  well.  He  watched  the  Kid's  efforts 
for  a  moment  in  silence. 

"Kid,"  said  he  sorrowfully  at  last,  "you'll 
have  to  make  your  choice.  Either  you  do 
all  the  chopping  or  none  of  it" 

Needle,  thread,  a  waxed  end,  and  a  piece 
of  buckskin  for  strings  and  patches  com- 
pletes the  ordinary  camp  outfit.  Your  re- 
pair kit  needs  additions  when  applied  to 
mountain  trips,  but  that  question  will  come 
up  under  another  heading. 


Repairs 


SUMMARY 


Minimum  for  comfort 
Silk  tent  (sometimes) 
Rubber  blanket 
Blanket 

Pillow  case  of  denim 
Pocket  axe 
File  and  whetstone 
Needle  and  thread 
Waxed  end 
Piece  of  buckskin 


Maximum 
Tarpaulin 
Blanket 
Comforter 
Small  pillow 
Canvas  bucket 
Canvas  wash  basin 
Canvas  wash  tub 
Candle  lantern  and  candles 
Pocket  axe 
5  pound  axe 
File  and  whetstone 
Needle  and  thread 
Waxed  end 
Piece  of  buckskin 


93 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   COOK   OUTFIT 

MOST  people  take  into  the  woods  too  Materials 
many   utensils   and    of   too   heavy 
material.     The  result  is  a  dispro- 
portion between  the  amount  of  food  trans- 
ported and  the  means  of  cooking  it. 

I  have  experimented  with  about  every 
material  going,  and  used  all  sorts  of  dishes. 
Once  I  traveled  ten  days,  and  did  all  my 
cooking  in  a  tip  cup  and  on  a  willow  switch — 
nor  did  I  live  badly.  An  ample  outfit,  how- 
ever, judiciously  selected,  need  take  up  little 
bulk  or  weight. 

Tin  is  the  lightest  material,  but  breaks  up  jin 
too  easily  under  rough  usage.  Still,  it  is 
by  no  means  to  be  despised.  With  a  little 
care  I  have  made  tin  coffee  pots  and  tin 
pails  last  out  a  season.  When  through,  I 
discarded  them.  And  my  cups  and  plates 
are  of  tin  to  this  day. 

97 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

ShMt  Iron  Sheet  iron  had  its  trial — a  brief  one.    The 

theory  was  all  right,  but  in  practice  I  soon 
found  that  for  a  long  time  whatever  is  boiled 
in  sheet  iron  pails  takes  on  a  dark  purplish- 
black  tinge  disagreeable  to  behold.  This 
modifies,  but  never  entirely  disappears,  with 
use.  But  also  sheet  iron  soon  burns  out  and 
develops  pin  holes  in  the  bottom. 

Agate  Ware  Agate  or  enamel  ware  is  pleasing  to  the 
eye  and  easily  kept  clean.  But  a  hard  blow 
means  a  crack  or  chip  in  the  enameled  sur- 
face, and  hard  blows  are  frequent.  An 
enamel  ware  kettle,  or  even  cup  or  plate, 
soon  opens  seams  and  chasms.  Then  it  may 
as  well  be  thrown  away,  for  you  can  never 
keep  it  clean. 

Iron  A  very  light  iron  pot  is  durable  and  cooks 

well.  Two  of  these  of  a  size  to  nest  together, 
with  the  coffee  pot  inside,  make  not  a  bad 
combination  for  a  pack  trip.  Most  people 
are  satisfied  with  them ;  but  for  a  perfect  and 
balanced  equipment  even  light-gauge  iron 
is  still  too  heavy. 

For  a  long  time  I  had  no  use  for  alumi- 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 

num.  It  was  too  soft,  went  to  pieces,  and 
got  out  of  shape  too  easily.  Then  by  good 
fortune  I  chanced  to  buy  a  pail  or  kettle  of 
an  aluminum  alloy.  That  one  pail  I  have 
used  constantly  for  five  years  on  all  sorts  of 
trips.  It  shows  not  a  single  dent  or  bend, 
and  inside  is  as  bright  as  a  dollar.  The  ideal 
material  was  found. 

Short    experience    taught   me,    however,  ^ 

that  even  this  aluminum  alloy  was  not  best 
for  every  item  of  the  culinary  outfit. 

The  coffee  pot,  kettles,  and  plates  may  be  Utensils 
of  the  alloy,  for  it  has  the  property  of  hold- 
ing heat,  but  by  that  very  same  token  an 
aluminum  cup  is  an  abomination.  The 
coffee  or  tea  cools  before  you  can  get  your 
lips  next  the  metal.  For  the  same  reason 
spoons  and  forks  are  better  of  steel ;  and  of 
course  it  stands  to  reason  that  the  cutting 
edge  of  a  knife  must  be  of  that  material. 
The  aluminum  frying  pans  I  have  found 
unsatisfactory  for  several  reasons.  The 
metal  is  not  porous  enough  to  take  grease, 
as  does  the  steel  pan,  so  that  unless  watched 

99 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

very  closely  flapjacks,  mush,  and  the  like  are 
too  apt  to  stick  and  burn.  In  the  second 
place  they  get  too  hot,  unless  favored  with 
more  than  their  share  of  attention.  In  the 
third  place,  in  the  case  of  the  two  I  have 
owned,  I  have  been  unable  to  keep  the  patent 
handle  on  for  more  than  three  weeks  after 
purchase. 

Premising,  then,  the  above  considerations, 
as  regards  material,  let  us  examine  now  the 
kind  and  variety  necessary  to  the  most  elab- 
orate trip  you  will  take,  at  the  same  time 
keeping  in  mind  the  fact  that  you  can  travel 
with  merely  a  tin  cup  if  you  have  to. 

Do  not  be  led  astray  into  buying  a  made- 
Made-up  up  outfit.  The  two-man  set  consists  of  a 
coffee  pot,  two  kettles,  a  fry  pan,  two  each 
of  plates,  cups,  soup  bowls,  knives,  forks, 
teaspoons,  and  dessert  spoons — everything 
of  aluminum.  All  fit  into  the  largest  kettle, 
plates  and  fry  pan  on  top,  and  weigh  but  five 
pounds.  The  idea  is  good,  but  you  will  be 
able  to  modify  it  to  advantage.^ 

^Abercrombie  &  Fitch  handle  the  aluminum  alloy. 
100 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 

Get  for  a  two-man  outfit  two  tin  cups 
with  the  handles  riveted,  not  soldered.  They 
will  drop  into  the  aluminum  coffee  pot. 
Omit  the  soup  bowls.  Buy  good  steel  knives 
and  forks  with  blackwood  or  horn  handles.  A  Good 
Let  the  forks  be  four-tined,  if  possible,  outfit 
Omit  the  teaspoons.  Do  not  make  the  mis- 
take of  tin  dessert  spoons.  Purchase  a  half 
dozen  of  white  metal.  All  these  things  will 
go  inside  the  aluminum  coffee  pot,  which 
will  nest  in  the  two  aluminum  kettles.  Over 
the  top  you  invert  four  aluminum  plates 
and  a  small  tin  milk  pan  for  bread  mixing 
and  dish  washing.  The  latter  should  be  of 
a  size  to  fit  accurately  over  the  top  of  the 
larger  kettle.  This  combination  will  tuck 
away  in  a  canvas  case  about  nine  inches  in 
diameter  and  nine  high.  You  will  want  a 
medium-size  steel  fry  pan,  with  handle  of 
the  same  piece  of  metal — not  riveted.  The 
latter  comes  off.  The  outfit  as  modified  will 
weigh  but  a  pound  more  than  the  other,  and 
is  infinitely  handier. 

There  are  several   methods  of  cooking 
101 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

bread.  The  simplest — and  the  one  you  will 
adopt  on  a  foot  trip — is  to  use  your  frying 
pan.  The  bread  is  mixed,  set  in  the  warmth 
a  few  moments  to  stiffen,  then  the  frying 
pan  is  propped  up  in  front  of  the  blaze. 
When  one  side  of  the  bread  is  done,  you 
turn  it  over. 
Dutch  The  second  method,  and  that  almost  uni- 

Oveni 

versally  employed  in  the  West,  is  by  means 

of  the  Dutch  oven.  The  latter  instrument  is 
in  shape  like  a  huge  and  heavy  iron  kettle 
on  short  legs,  and  provided  with  a  massive 
iron  cover.  A  hole  is  dug,  a  fire  built  in 
the  hole,  the  oven  containing  its  bread  set 
in  on  the  resultant  coals,  and  the  hole  filled 
in  with  hot  earth  and  ashes.  It  makes  very 
good  bread,  but  is  a  tremendous  nuisance. 
You  have  the  weight  of  the  machine  to 
transport,  the  hole  to  dig,  and  an  extra  fire 
to  make.    It  also  necessitates  a  shovel. 

That  the  Westerner  carries  such  an  un- 
wieldy   affair    about    with    him    has    been 
mainly,  I  think,  because  of  his  inability  to 
get  a  good  reflector.    The  perfect  baker  of 
102 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 

this  sort  should  be  constructed  at  such  angles 
of  top  and  bottom  that  the  heat  is  reflected 
equally  front  and  back,  above  and  below. 
This  requires  some  mathematics.  The  aver- 
age reflector  is  built  of  light  tin  by  the  vil- 
lage tinsmith.     It  throws  the  heat  almost 


Folding  Aluminum  Reflector  Oven. 

anywhere.  The  pestered  woodsman  shifts 
it,  shifts  the  bread  pan,  shifts  the  loaf  try- 
ing to  "get  an  even  scald  on  the  pesky 
thing."  The  bread  is  scorched  at  two  cor- 
ners and  raw  at  the  other  two,  brown  on  top, 
but  pasty  at  the  bottom.  He  burns  his 
hands.  If  he  persists,  he  finds  that  a  dozen 
bakings  tarnish  the  tin  beyond  polish,  so  that 
at  last  the  heat  hardly  reflects  at  all.  He 
probably  ends  by  shooting  it  full  of  holes. 
And  next  trip,  being  unwilling  to  bake  in 
103 


Reflector 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

the  frying  pan  while  he  has  a  horse  to  carry 
for  him,  he  takes  along  the  same  old  piece 
of  ordnance — the  Dutch  oven. 
Aluminum  This  is  no  exaggeration.  I  have  heen 
Baker  there  myself.  Until  this  very  year  I  carried 
a  Dutch  oven  on  my  pack  trips.  Then  I 
made  one  more  try,  purchased  an  aluminum 
baker  of  Abercrombie  &  Fitch,  and  have  had 
good  bread  at  minimum  trouble. 

I  realize  that  I  seem  to  be  recommending 
this  firm  rather  extensively,  but  it  cannot  be 
helped.  It  is  not  because  I  know  no  others, 
for  naturally  I  have  been  purchasing  sport- 
ing goods  and  supplies  in  a  great  many 
places  and  for  a  good  many  years.  Nor  do 
I  recommend  everything  they  make.  Only 
along  some  lines  they  have  carried  practical 
ideas  to  their  logical  conclusion.  The  Aber- 
crombie &  Fitch  balloon  silk  tents,  food 
bags,  pack  harness,  aluminum  alloys,  and 
reflector  ovens  completely  fill  the  bill.  And 
as  they  cannot  be  procured  elsewhere,  I 
must  perhaps  seem  unduly  to  advertise  this 
one  firm. 

104 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 

Their  aluminum  baker,  then,  I  found  to 
be  a  joy.  I  put  the  bread  in  the  pan,  stuck 
the  reflector  in  front  of  my  regular  cooking 
fire,  and  went  ahead  with  dinner.  It  re- 
quired absolutely  no  more  attention.  By 
the  time  I  was  ready  to  dish  up  grub,  the 
bread  was  done.  That  was  all  there  was  to 
it.  The  angles  are  correct,  and  the  alumi- 
num is  easily  kept  bright.  When  not  in  use 
it  folds  to  an  inch  thick,  and  about  a  foot 
by  a  foot  and  a  half.  It  weighs  only  about 
two  pounds.  A  heavy  canvas  case  protects 
it  and  the  bread  pan.  I  pack  it  between 
blankets,  and  never  know  it  is  there ;  whereas 
the  Dutch  oven  was  always  a  problem.  The 
cost  was  three  dollars. 

Food  is  best  transported  in  bags.  Cotton  Food  Bags 
drill,  or  even  empty  flour  sacks  are  pretty 
good  on  a  pack  horse;  but  in  canoe  and 
forest  traveling  you  will  want  something 
waterproof.  Even  horseback  a  waterproof 
bag  is  better,  for  it  keeps  out  the  dust. 
Again  I  must  refer  you  to  Abercrombie  & 
Fitch.  Their  food  bags  are  of  light,  water- 
105 


Fire  Irons 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

proof,  and  durable  material,  and  cost  only 
from  a  dollar  to  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  dozen, 
according  to  size. 

Of  course  on  a  tramp  you  will  carry  no 
extra  conveniences  in  the  way  of  fire  irons, 
but  will  use  as  cooking  range  two  green  logs 


^^'."^ 


^ 


Use  of  Parallel  Logs. 

laid  nearly  parallel,  or  rocks  placed  side  by 
side.  But  with  a  pack  horse,  there  is  no 
reason  why  you  should  not  relieve  yourself 
of  this  bother. 

Usually  two  pieces  of  strap  iron  about 
thirty  inches  long  and  an  inch  wide  are 
employed  for  this  purpose.  The  ends  are 
rested  on  two  stones  and  the  fire  built  be- 
neath them.  In  case  stones  lack,  a  small 
trench  is  dug,  and  the  irons  laid  across  that. 
106 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 

Mr.  Ernest  Britten,   a   Forest  Ranger, 
has  however  invented  a  contrivance  that  is 


Use  of  Ordinary  Fire  Irons. 

much  better.  The  irons,  instead  of  being 
made  of  strap  iron,  are  of  angle  iron.  To 
the  inside  of  the  L  and  at  each  end  sharp- 


The  Ernest  Britten  Fire  Irons. 

ened  legs  are  swung  on  a  rivet.     A  squared 

outer  corner  next  the  angle  iron  prevents 

107, 


The  Britten 
Fire  Irons 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

their  spreading,  but  a  rounded  inner  corner 
permits  their  being  folded  flat.  When 
used,  the  legs  are  opened  and  stuck  upright 
in  the  ground,  the  irons  being  arranged  par- 
allel at  an  appropriate  distance  from  each 
other.  Mark  these  advantages:  The  irons 
can  be  driven  to  any  height  from  the  ground 
according  as  fuel  is  plenty  or  scarce.  They 
can  be  leveled  absolutely,  a  thing  difficult 
to  accomplish  with  stones  and  strap  irons. 
In  case  the  ground  is  too  hard  to  admit  the 
Inspirator  insertion  of  the  legs  in  it,  they  can  be  folded 
back,  and  the  irons  used  across  stones  in  the 
manner  of  the  old  strap  irons.  Moreover, 
and  this  is  important,  they  weigh  no  more. 

I  have  had  presented  me  by  Mr.  Robert 
Logan  of  New  York,  so  simple,  transport- 
able and  efficient  a  device  for  kindling  fires 
that  I  have  included  it  in  my  regular  outfit. 
It  consists  of  a  piece  of  small  rubber  tube 
two  feet  or  so  in  length,  into  one  end  of 
which  is  forced  a  brass  cylinder  three  or 
four  inches  long.  The  extremity  of  this 
brass  cylinder  is  then  beaten  out  so  that  its 
108 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 

opening  is  flattened.     Logan  calls  this  in- 
strument an  "  Inspirator." 

To  encourage  a  fire  you  apply  the  brass  How  to 
nozzle  to  the  struggling  blaze,  and  blow  i^i^spira^or 
steadily  through  the  rubber  tube.     The  re- 
sult is  an  effect  midway  between  a  pair  of 
bellows  and  a  Bunsen  burner. 

Until  you  have  tried  it  you  will  have 
difficulty  in  realizing  how  quickly  wet  wood 
will  ignite  when  persuaded  by  the  Inspira- 
tor. I  have  used  it  over  five  months  of 
camping,  and  never  have  failed  to  blow  up 
a  brisk  blaze  in  the  foulest  conditions  of 
weather  and  fuel.  No  more  heavy  chop- 
ping for  dry  heart-wood,  no  more  ashes  in 
the  face  empurpled  by  stooping,  no  more 
frantic  waving  of  the  hat  that  scatters  ashes. 
Furthermore,  the  Inspirator's  use  is  not  con- 
fined to  wet  days  alone.  If  ever  you  par- 
ticularly desire  any  individual  kettle  to  boil 
in  a  hurry,  and  that  utensil  sullenly  declines 
to  do  so,  just  direct  the  Inspirator  beneath 
it,  and  in  a  jiffy  it  i^  on  the  bubble.  When 
out  of  use  you  wrap  the  rubber  tube  around 
109 


Towels, 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

the  brass  nozzle  and  tuck  it  away  in  your 
waistcoat  pocket. 

There  remains  only  the  necessity  of  clean- 
ing up.  Get  three  yards  or  so  of  toweling 
and  cut  off  pieces  as  you  need  them.  Keep 
Soap,  etc.  them  washed  and  they  will  last  a  long  time. 
Borax  soap  and  a  cake  of  Sapolio  help; 
but  you  can  clean  up  dishes  without  soap. 
Long  tough  grass  bent  double  makes  an 
excellent  swab.  For  washing  clothes  I 
have  found  nothing  to  equal  either  Fels- 
Naphtha  or  Frank  Siddal's  Soap.  You  soap 
your  garments  at  night,  rinse  them  in  the 
morning — and  the  job  is  done.  No  hot 
water,  no  boiling,  little  rubbing.  And  the 
garments  are  really  clean. 


110 


THE    COOK   OUTFIT 


SUMMARY 


Minimum  for  comfort 

1  tin  cup  with  riveted 

handle 
1  aluminum  coffee  pot 
1  aluminum  pail 
1  knife,  fork,  spoon 
1  aluminum  plate 
Fry  pan 
Food  bags 
Dish  towel 
Fels-Naphtha  or  Frank 

Siddal's  soap. 


Maximum 


Tin  cup 

Aluminum  coffee  pot 
2  aluminum  pails 
Knife,  fork,  3  spoons 
2  plates 
Milk  pan 
2  fry  pans  to  nest 
Reflector  oven 
Food  bags 
Fire  irons 
Dish  towel 
Borax  soap 
Sapolio 

Fels-Naphtha  or  Frank 
Siddal's  soap. 


Ill 


GRUB 


CHAPTER   VII 

GRUB 

IN  no  department  of  outdoor  life  does  ^"^®*y 
the  mistaken  notion  of  "roughing  it" 
work  more  harm.  I  have  never  been 
able  to  determine  why  a  man  should  be  con- 
tent with  soggy,  heavy,  coarse  and  indigesti- 
ble food  when,  with  the  same  amount  of 
trouble,  the  same  utensils,  and  the  same 
materials  he  can  enjoy  variety  and  palata- 
bility.  To  eat  a  well-cooked  dinner  it  is  not 
necessary  to  carry  an  elaborate  commissary. 
In  a  later  chapter  I  shall  try  to  show  you 
how  to  combine  the  simple  and  limited  in- 
gredients at  your  command  into  the  greatest 
number  of  dishes.  At  present  we  will  con- 
cern ourselves  strictly  with  the  kind  and 
quantity  of  food  you  will  wish  to  carry  with 
you. 

Necessarily   bulk   and   weight    are    such 
important  considerations  that  they  will  at 
115 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

once  cut  out  much  you  would  enjoy.  Also 
condensed  and  desiccated  foods  are,  in  a 
few  cases,  toothsome  enough  to  earn  inclu- 
sion— and  many  are  not.  Perishability  bars 
certain  other  sorts.  But  when  all  is  said 
and  done  there  remains  an  adequate  list 
from  which  to  choose. 
Luxuries  However  closely  you  confine  yourself  to 
the  bare  necessities,  be  sure  to  include  one 
luxury.  This  is  not  so  much  to  eat  as  for 
the  purpose  of  moral  support.  I  remember 
one  trip  in  the  Black  Hills  on  which  our 
commissary  consisted  quite  simply  of  oat- 
meal, tea,  salt,  and  sugar,  and  a  single  can 
of  peaches.  Of  course  there  was  game. 
Now  if  we  had  found  ourselves  confined  to 
meat,  mush,  oatmeal  pones,  and  tea,  we 
should,  after  a  little,  have  felt  ourselves 
reduced  to  dull  monotony,  and  after  a  little 
more  we  should  have  begun  to  long  mightily 
for  the  fleshpots  of  Deadwood.  But  that 
can  of  peaches  lurked  in  the  back  of  our 
minds.  By  its  presence  we  were  not  reduced 
to  meat,  mush,  oatmeal  pones,  and  tea. 
116 


GRUB 

Occasionally  we  would  discuss  gravely  the  - — 

advisibility  of  opening  it,  but  I  do  not  be- 
lieve any  one  of  us  down  deep  in  his  heart 
meant  it  in  sober  earnest.  What  was  the 
mere  tickling  of  the  palate  compared  with 
the  destruction  of  a  symbol. 

Somewhat  similarly  I  was  once  on  a  trip  Take  Your 
with  an  Englishman  who,  when  we  out-  P®*  ^"^^y 
fitted,  insisted  on  marmalade.  In  vain  we 
pointed  out  the  fact  that  glass  always  broke. 
Finally  we  compromised  on  one  jar,  which 
we  wrapped  in  the  dish  towel  and  packed 
in  the  coffee  pot.  For  five  weeks  that  un- 
opened jar  of  marmalade  traveled  with  us, 
and  the  Englishman  was  content.  Then  it 
got  broken — as  they  always  do.  From  that 
time  on  our  friend  uttered  his  daily  growl 
or  lament  over  the  lack  of  marmalade.  And, 
mind  you,  he  had  already  gone  five  weeks 
without  tasting  a  spoonful! 

So  include  in  the  list  your  pet  luxury. 
Tell  yourself  that  you  will  eat  it  just  at  the 
psychological  moment.     It  is  a  great  com- 
fort.    But  to  our  list: 
117 


Cereals 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

Bacon  is  the  stand-by.  Get  the  very  best 
you  can  buy,  and  the  leanest.  In  a  walking 
trip  cut  off  the  rind  in  order  to  reduce  the 
weight. 

Ham  is  a  pleasant  variety  if  you  have 
room  for  it. 

Flour, — Personally  I  like  the  whole  wheat 
best.  It  bakes  easier  than  the  white,  has 
more  taste,  and  mixes  with  other  things 
quite  as  well.  It  comes  in  10-pound  sacks, 
which  makes  it  handy  to  carry. 

Pancake  Flour,  either  buckwheat  or  not, 
makes  flapjacks,  of  course,  but  also  bakes 
into  excellent  loaves,  and  is  a  fine  base  for 
camp  cake. 

Boston  Brown  Bread  Flour  is  self -rising, 
on  the  principle  of  the  flapjack  flour.  It 
makes  genuine  brown  bread,  toothsome 
quick  biscuits  with  shortening,  and  a  glor- 
ious boiled  or  steamed  pudding.  If  your 
outfitter  does  not  know  of  it,  tell  him  it  is 
made  at  San  Jose,  California. 

Cornmeal. — Get  the  yellow.  It  makes 
good  Johnny  cake,  puddings,  fried  mush, 
118 


GRUB 

and  unleavened  corn  pone,  all  of  which  are 
palatable,  nourishing,  and  easy  to  make.  If 
you  have  a  dog  with  you,  it  is  the  easiest 
ration  for  between-meat  seasons.  A  quar- 
ter cup  swells  up  into  an  abundant  meal  for 
the  average-sized  canine. 

Hominy, — The  coarse  sort  makes  a  good 
variety. 

Tapioca, — Utterly  unsatisfactory  over  an 
open  fire.     Don't  take  it. 

Rice, — I  think  rice  is  about  the  best  j^^^^J  ^  ^ 
stand-by  of  all.  In  the  first  place,  ten  pounds  stand-by 
of  rice  will  go  farther  than  ten  pounds  of 
any  other  food;  a  half  cup,  which  weighs 
small  for  its  bulk,  boils  up  into  a  half  kettle- 
ful,  a  quantity  ample  for  four  people.  In 
the  second  place,  it  contains  a  great  per- 
centage of  nutriment,  and  is  good  stuff  to 
travel  on.  In  the  third  place^,  it  is  of  that 
sort  of  palatability  of  which  one  does  not 
tire.  In  the  fourth  place  it  can  be  served 
in  a  variety  of  ways:  boiled  plain;  boiled 
with  raisins ;  boiled  with  rolled  oats ;  boiled, 
then  fried-  made  into  baked  puddings; 
119 


the  Best 
Brands 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

baked  in  gems  or  loaves;  mixed  with  flap- 
jacks. Never  omit  it  from  your  list. 
Buy  Only  Baking  Powder, — Do  not  buy  an  un- 
known brand  at  a  country  store;  you  will 
find  it  bad  for  your  insides  after  a  very 
short  use.    Royal  and  Price's  are  both  good. 

Tea  and  Coffee, — Even  confirmed  coff*ee 
drinkers  drop  away  from  their  allegiance 
after  being  out  a  short  time.  Tea  seems  to 
wear  better  in  the  woods.  Personally,  I 
never  take  coffee  at  all,  unless  for  the  benefit 
of  some  other  member  of  the  party. 

Potatoes  are  generally  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, although  you  can  often  stick  a  small 
sack  in  your  kyacks.  They  are  very  grate- 
ful when  you  can  carry  them.  A  desicca- 
ted article  is  on  the  market.  Soaked  up  it 
takes  on  somewhat  the  consistency  of  rather 
watery  mashed  potatoes.     It  is  not  bad. 

Onions  are  a  luxury;  but,  like  the  pota- 
toes, can  sometimes  be  taken,  and  add 
largely  to  flavor. 

Sugar, — My  experience  is,  that  one  eats 
a  great  deal  more  sweets  out  of  doors  than 
120 


When  you  quit  the   trail  for  a  day's  rest 


GRUB 

at  home.  I  suppose  one  uses  up  more  fuel. 
In  any  case  I  have  many  a  time  run  out  of 
sugar,  and  only  rarely  brought  any  home. 
Saxin,  erystallose  and  saccharine  are  all  ex-     Saccharine 

Tablets 

cellent  to  relieve  the  weight  in  this  respect. 
They  come  as  tablets,  each  a  little  larger 
than  the  head  of  a  pin.  A  tablet  represents 
the  sweetening  power  of  a  lump  of  sugar. 
Dropped  in  the  tea,  two  of  them  will  sweeten 
quite  as  well  as  two  heaping  spoonfuls 
and  you  could  never  tell  the  difference.  A 
man  could  carry  in  his  waistcoat  pocket  vials 
containing  the  equivalent  of  twenty-five 
pounds  of  sugar.  Their  advantage  in  light- 
ening a  back  load  is  obvious. 

Fats. — Lard  is  the  poorest  and  least 
wholesome,  Cottolene  is  better.  Olive  oil 
is  best.  The  latter  can  be  carried  in  a  screw- 
top  tin.  Less  of  it  need  be  used  than  of  the 
others.  It  gives  a  delicious  flavor  to  any- 
thing fried  in  it. 

Mush. — Rolled  oats  are  good,  but  do  not 
agree  with  some  people.  Cream  of  Wheat 
and  Germea  are  more  digestible.  Person- 
121 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

ally  I  prefer  to  take  my  cereal  in  the  form 
of  biscuits.  It  "sticks  to  the  ribs"  better. 
Three-quarters  of  a  cup  of  cereal  will  make 
a  full  supply  of  mush  for  three  people,  leav- 
ing room  for  mighty  little  else.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  full  cup  of  the  same  cereal  will 
make  six  biscuits — two  apiece  for  our  three 
people.  In  other  words,  the  biscuits  allow 
one  to  eat  a  third  more  cereal  in  half  the 
bulk. 

Dried  Fruit, — This  is  another  class  of 
food  almost  to  be  classed  as  condensed.  It 
is  easily  carried,  is  light,  and  when  cooked 
Fruits  swells  considerably.  Raisins  lead  the  list,  as 
they  cook  in  well  with  any  of  the  flour  stuffs 
and  rice,  and  are  excellent  to  eat  raw  as  a 
lunch.  Dried  figs  come  next.  I  do  not 
mean  the  layer  figs,  but  those  dried  round 
like  prunes.  They  can  be  stewed,  eaten 
raw,  or  cooked  in  puddings.  Dried  apples 
are  good  stewed,  or  soaked  and  fried  in  a 
little  sugar.  Prunes  are  available,  raw  or 
cooked.  Peaches  and  apricots  I  do  not  care 
for,  but  they  complete  the  list. 
122 


GRUB 

Salt  and  Pepper, — A  little  cayenne  in  hot  ^  Good 

water  is  better  than  whiskey  for  a  chill.  ^!?^^  *°' 

^  a  Chill 

Cinnamon, — Excellent  to  sprinkle  on 
apples,  rice,  and  puddings.  A  flavoring 
to  camp  cake.  One  small  box  will  last  a 
season. 

Milk, — Some  people  like  the  sticky 
sweetened  Borden  milk.  I  think  it  very 
sickish  and  should  much  prefer  to  go  with- 
out. The  different  brands  of  evaporated 
creams  are  palatable,  but  too  bulky  and 
heavy  for  ordinary  methods  of  transporta- 
tion. A  can  or  so  may  sometimes  be  in- 
cluded, however.  Abercrombie  &  Fitch 
offer  a  milk  powder.  They  claim  that  a 
spoonful  in  water  "produces  a  sweet  whole- 
some milk."  It  may  be  wholesome;  it  cer- 
tainly is  sweet — but  as  for  being  milk!  I 
should  like  to  see  the  cow  that  would  ac- 
knowledge it. 

Syrup, — Mighty  good  on  flapjacks  and 

bread,  and  sometimes  to  be  carried  when 

animals  are  many.     The  easiest  to  get  that 

tastes   like   anything   is   the   "Log   Cabin" 

123 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 


Altitude's 
Influence  on 
Cooking 


maple  syrup.     It  comes  in  a  can  of  a  handy 
shape. 

Beans. — Another  rich  stand-by;  rich  in 
sustenance,  light  in  weight,  and  compressed 
in  bulk.  Useless  to  carry  in  the  mountains, 
where,  as  a  friend  expressed  it,  "all  does  not 
boil  that  bubbles."  Unless  you  have  all  day 
and  unlimited  firewood  they  will  not  cook 
in  a  high  altitude.  Lima  beans  are  easier 
cooked.  A  few  chilis  are  nice  to  add  to  the 
pot  by  way  of  variety. 

Pilot  Bread  or  Hardtack, — If  you  use  it 
at  all — which  of  course  must  be  in  small 
quantities  for  emergencies — be  sure  to  get 
the  coarsest.  It  comes  in  several  grades, 
and  the  finer  crumble.  The  coarse,  how- 
ever, breaks  no  finer  than  the  size  of  a 
dollar,  and  so  is  edible  no  matter  how  badly 
smashed.  With  raisins  it  makes  a  good 
lunch. 

Butter,  like  milk,  is  a  luxury  I  do  without 
on  a  long  trip.  The  lack  is  never  felt  after 
a  day  or  two.  I  believe  you  can  get  it  in 
air-tight  cans. 

124 


GRUB 

Macaroni  is  bulky,  but  a  single  package 
goes  a  long  way,  and  is  both  palatable  and 
nutritious.  Break  it  into  pieces  an  inch  or 
so  long  and  stow  it  in  a  grub  bag. 

That  finishes  the  list  of  the  bulk  groceries,  canned 
Canned  goods,  in  general,  are  better  left  at  ^°°^^ 
home.  You  are  carrying  the  weight  not 
only  of  the  vegetable,  but  also  of  the  juice 
and  the  tin.  One  can  of  tomatoes  merely 
helps  out  on  one  meal,  and  occupies  enough 
space  to  accommodate  eight  meals  of  rice; 
or  enough  weight  to  balance  two  dozen  meals 
of  the  same  vegetable.  Both  the  space  of 
the  kyacks  and  the  carrying  power  of  your 
horse  are  better  utilized  in  other  directions. 
I  assume  you  never  will  be  fool  enough  to 
weight  your  own  back  with  such  things. 

So  much  for  common  sense  and  theory. 
As  a  matter  of  practice,  and  if  you  have 
enough  animals  to  avoid  overloading,  you 
will  generally  tuck  in  a  can  here  and  there. 
These  are  to  be  used  only  on  great  occasions, 
but  grace  mightily  holidays  and  very  tired 
times. 

125 


Goods 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

Now  some  canned  goods  make  you  feel 
you  are  really  getting  something  worth 
while;  and  others  do  not. 

Corn  is  probably  the  most  satisfactory  of 
all.  It  is  good  warmed  up,  made  into  frit- 
ters, baked  into  a  pudding,  or  mixed  with 
lima  beans  as  succotash. 

Peas  on  the  other  hand  are  no  ffood.    Too 
Good  and  ... 

Bad  Canned  much  water,  and  too  little  pea  is  the  main 
trouble,  which  combines  discouragingly  with 
the  fact  that  a  mouthful  of  peas  is  not  nearly 
as  hearty  or  satisfying  as  a  mouthful  of 
corn. 

Tomatoes  are  carried  extensively,  but  are 
very  bulky  and  heavy  for  what  you  get  out 
of  them. 

Canned  Fruit  is  sheer  mad  luxury.  A 
handful  of  the  dried  article  would  equal  a 
half  dozen  cans. 

Salmon, — A  pleasant  and  compact  varia- 
tion on  ordinary  fare.  It  can  be  eaten  cold, 
as  it  comes  from  the  can;  or  can  be  fried  or 
baked. 

Picnic  Stuffy  such  as  potted  chicken, 
126 


GRUB 

devilled  ham  and  the  rest  of  it  are  abomi-  ~ 

nations. 

Corned  Beef  is  fair. 

To  sum  up,  I  think  that  if  I  were  to  go 
in  for  canned  goods,  I  should  concentrate 
on  corn  and  salmon,  with  one  or  two  corned 
beef  on  the  side. 

As  I  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this  Desiccated 
chapter  modern  desiccation  of  foods  has  Foods 
helped  the  wilderness  traveler  to  some  ex- 
tent. I  think  I  have  tried  about  everything 
in  this  line.  In  the  following  list  I  shall 
mention  those  I  think  good,  and  also  those 
particularly  bad.  Any  not  mentioned  it 
may  be  implied  that  I  do  not  care  for 
myself,  but  am  willing  to  admit  that  you 
may. 

Canned  Eggs, — The  very  best  thing  of 
this  kind  is  made  by  the  National  Bakers' 
Egg  Co.,  of  Sioux  City.  It  is  a  coarse  yel- 
low granulation  and  comes  in  one-pound 
screw-top  tin  cans.  Each  can  contains  the 
equivalent  of  five  dozen  eggs,  and  costs,  I 
think,  only  $1.25.  A  tablespoon  of  the  pow- 
127 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

der  and  two  of  water  equals  an  egg.  With 
that  egg  you  can  make  omelets  and  scram- 
bled eggs,  which  you  could  not  possibly  tell 
from  the  new-laid.  Two  cans,  weighing 
two  pounds,  will  last  you  all  summer;  and 
think  of  the  delight  of  an  occasional  egg  for 
breakfast!  The  German  canned  eggs — 
HoiFmeir's  is  sold  in  this  country — are 
rather  evil  tasting,  do  not  beat  up  light,  and 
generally  decline  sullenly  to  cook. 

Soups. — Some  of  the  compressed  soups 
are  excellent.  The  main  difficulty  is  that 
they  are  put  up  in  flimsy  paper  packages, 
difficult  to  carry  without  breaking.  Also  I 
have  found  that  when  you  take  but  two  ket- 
tles, you  are  generally  hungry  enough  to 
begrudge  one  of  them  to  anything  as  thin 
as  even  the  best  soup.  However,  occasion- 
ally a  hot  cupful  is  a  good  thing;  and  I 
should  always  include  a  few  packages.  The 
most  filling  and  nourishing  is  the  German 
Erbswurst  army  ration  called  Erbswurst.  It  comes  in 
a  sausage-shaped  package,  which  is  an  ex- 
ception to  the  rule  in  that  it  is  strongly 
128 


GRUB 

constructed.  You  cut  off  an  inch  and  boil 
it.  The  taste  is  like  that  of  a  thick  bean 
soup.  It  is  said  to  contain  all  the  elements 
of  nutrition. 

Knorr's  packages  make  good  soup  when 
you  get  hold  of  the  right  sort.  We  have 
tried  them  all,  and  have  decided  that  they 
can  be  divided  into  two  classes — those  that 
taste  like  soup,  and  the  dishwater  brand. 
The  former  comprise  pea,  bean,  lentil,  rice, 
and  onion ;  the  latter,  all  others. 

Maggi's  tablets  are  smaller  than  Knorr's  Soup 
and  rather  better  packed.     The  green  pea 
and  lentil  make  really  delicious  scup. 

Bouillon  capsules  of  all  sorts  I  have  no  use 
for.  They  serve  to  flavor  hot  water,  and 
that  is  about  all. 

Desiccated  Vegetables  come  in  tablets 
about  four  inches  square  and  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  thick.  A  quarter  of  one  of  these  tablets 
makes  a  dish  for  two  people.  You  soak  it 
several  hours,  then  boil  it.  In  general  the 
results  are  all  alike,  and  equally  tasteless  and 
loathsome.  The  most  notable  exception  is 
129 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

the  string  beans.  They  come  out  quite  like 
the  original  vegetable,  both  in  appear- 
ance and  taste.  I  always  take  some  along. 
Enough  for  twenty  meals  could  be  carried 
in  the  inside  pocket  of  your  waistcoat. 

Julienne,  made  by  Prevet.  A  French 
mixture  of  carrots  and  other  vegetables  cut 
into  strips  and  dried.  When  soaked  and 
boiled  it  swells  to  its  original  size.  A  half 
cupful  makes  a  meal  for  two.  It  ranks 
with  the  string  beans  in  being  thoroughly 
palatable.  These  two  preparations  are  better 
than  canned  goods,  and  are  much  more  easily 
carried. 

Potatoes,  saooin,  saccharine,  and  crystallose 
I  have  already  mentioned. 
OuantitT  That  completes  the  most  elaborate  grub 
list  I  should  care  to  recommend.  As  to  a 
quantitative  list,  that  is  a  matter  of  consider- 
ably more  elasticity.  I  have  kept  track  of 
the  exact  quantity  of  food  consumed  on  a 
great  many  trips,  and  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  anything  but  the  most  tentative 
statements  must  spring  from  lack  of  experi- 
130 


GRUB 

ence.  A  man  paddling  a  canoe,  or  carrying 
a  pack  all  day,  will  eat  a  great  deal  more 
than  would  the  same  man  sitting  a  horse.  A 
trip  in  the  clear,  bracing  air  of  the  mountains 
arouses  keener  appetites  than  a  desert  jour- 
ney near  the  borders  of  Mexico,  and  a  list  of 
supplies  ample  for  the  one  would  be  woefully 
insufficient  for  the  other.  The  variation  is 
really  astonishing. 

Therefore  the  following  figures  must  be 
experimented  with  rather  cautiously.  They 
represent  an  average  of  many  of  my  own 
trips. 


ONE  MONTH  S  SUPPLIES   FOR   ONE  MAN   ON  A   FOREST 
TRIP 

15    lbs.     flour    (includes  150  saccharine  tablets          ^^^*>  ^*s* 

flour,  pancake    flour,  8  lbs.  cereal 

cornmeal    in    propor-  1  lb.  raisins 

tion  to  suit)  •  /  Salt  and  pepper 

15    lbs.   meat   (bacon  or  5  lbs.  beans 

boned  ham)  3  lbs.  or  J  doz.  Erbswurst 

8  lbs.  rice  2  lbs.  or  J  doz.  dried  veg- 

^  lb.  baking  powder  etables 

1  lb.  tea  2  lbs.  dried  potatoes 

2  lbs.  sugar  •  1  can  Bakers'  eggs. 

131 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

ONE  month's  supplies    FOR    ONE   MAN  ON  PACK  HORSE 
TRIP 


15   lbs.    flour    supplies 

3  lbs.  cream  of  wheat 

(flour,  flapjack  flour. 

5  lbs.  mixed  dried  fruit 

cornmeal) 

Salt,  pepper,  cinnamon 

15  lbs.  ham  and  bacon 

3  cans  evaporated  cream 

2  lbs.  hominy 

i  gal.  syrup  or  honey 

4  lbs.  rice 

5  lbs.  beans 

J  lb.  baking  powder 

Chilis 

1  lb.  coffee 

^ .    Pilot  bread  (in  flour  sack) 

J  lb.  tea 

!'-^   6  cans  corn 

20  lbs.  potatoes 

/  -       6  cans  salmon 

;? 

-^    A  few  onions                      ' 

'/       2  cans  corned  beef 

2  lbs.  sugar 

1  can  Bakers'  eggs 

150  saccharine  tablets 

^  doz.  Maggi's  soups 

3  lb.  pail  cottolene,  or  can 

i  doz.  dried  vegetables — 

olive  oil 

beans  and  Julienne. 

These  lists  are  not 

supposed  to  be  "eaten 

Don't 

down  to  the  bone."    A  man  cannot  figure  that 

Figure 
Grub  List 

closely.    If  you  buy  just  what  is  included  in 

too  Closely  them  you  will  be  well  fed,  but  will  probably 
have  a  little  left  at  the  end  of  the  month.  If 
you  did  not,  you  would  probably  begin  to 
worry  about  the  twenty-fifth  day.  And  this 
does  not  pay.  Of  course  if  you  get  game  and 
fish,  you  can  stay  out  over  the  month. 


133 


CAMP   COOKERY 


CHAPTER   VIII 

CAMP   COOKERY 

THE  secret  of  successful  camp  cookery  Secret  of 
is  experimentation  and  boldness.  If  ^^^^ 
you  have  not  an  ingredient,  substi- 
tute the  nearest  thing  to  it;  or  something 
in  the  same  general  class  of  foods.  After 
you  get  the  logic  of  what  constitutes  a  pud- 
ding, or  bread,  or  cake,  or  anything  else, 
cut  loose  from  cook-books  and  invent  with 
what  is  contained  in  your  grub  bags.  Do 
not  be  content  until,  by  shifting  trials,  you 
get  your  proportions  just  right  for  the  best 
results.  Even  though  a  dish  is  quite  edible, 
if  the  possibility  of  improving  it  exists,  dq 
not  be  satisfied  with  repeating  it.  \ 

This  chapter  will  not  attempt  to  be  a 
camp  cook-book.     Plenty  of  the  latter  can 
be  bought.     It  will  try  to  explain  dishes  not 
found  in  camp  cook-books,  but  perhaps  bet- 
135 


Make  Bread 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

ter  adapted  to  the  free  and  easy  culinary 
conditions  that  obtain  over  an  open  fire  and 
in  the  open  air. 

After  bacon  gets  a  little  old,  parboil  the 
slices  before  frying  them. 

Bread. — The  secret  of  frying-pan  bread 
How  to  is  a  medium  stiff  batter  in  the  proportion 

of  one  cup  of  flour,  one  teaspoon  of  salt,  one 
tablespoon  of  sugar,  and  a  heaping  teaspoon 
of  baking  powder.  This  is  poured  into  the 
well-greased  and  hot  pan,  and  set  flat  near 
the  fire.  In  a  very  few  moments  it  will  rise 
and  stiff'en.  Prop  the  pan  nearly  perpen- 
dicular before  the  blaze.  When  done  on 
one  side,  turn  over.  A  clean  sliver  or  a  fork 
stuck  through  the  center  of  the  loaf  will  tell 
you  when  it  is  done:  if  the  sliver  comes  out 
clean,  without  dough  sticking  to  it,  the  bak- 
ing is  finished. 

In  an  oven  the  batter  must  be  somewhat 
thinner.  Stiff"  batter  makes  close-grained 
heavy  bread;  thin  batter  makes  light  and 
crisp  bread.  The  problem  is  to  strike  the 
happy  medium,  for  if  too  stiff  the  loaf  is 
136 


CAMP   COOKERY 

soggy,  and  if  too  thin  it  sticks  to  the  pan. 
Dough  should  be  wet  only  at  the  last  mo- 
ment, after  the  pan  is  ready,  and  should  be 
lightly  stirred,  never  kneaded  or  beaten. 

Biscuits  are  made  in  the  same  way,  with 
the  addition  of  a  dessert-spoonful  of  cotto- 
lene,  or  a  half  spoonful  of  olive  oil. 

Cornbread  is  a  mixture  of  half  cornmeal 
and  half  flour,  with  salt,  baking  powder,  and 
shortening. 

Unleavened  bread  properly  made  is  bet- 
ter as  a  steady  diet  than  any  of  the  baking 
powder    products.     The    amateur   cook    is  Unleavened 

Bread 
usually  disgusted  with  it  because  it  turns  out 

either  soggy  or  leathery.  The  right  method, 
however,  results  in  crisp,  cracker-like  bread, 
both  satisfying  and  nourishing.  It  is  made 
as  follows: 

Take  three-quarters  of  a  cup  of  either 
cornmeal,  oatmeal.  Cream  of  Wheat,  or 
Germea,  and  mix  it  thoroughly  with  an  equal 
quantity  of  flour.  Add  a  teaspoonful  of 
salt,  a  tablespoonful  of  sugar,  and  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  olive  oil  or  shortening.  Be 
137 


CAMP   AND   TRAII. 

sure  not  to  exceed  the  amount  of  the  latter 
ingredient.  Mix  in  just  enough  water  to 
wet  thoroughly,  and  beat  briskly;  the  result 
should  be  almost  crumbly.  Mold  biscuits 
three  inches  across  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
thick,  place  in  a  hot  greased  pan,  and  bake 
before  a  hot  fire.  The  result  is  a  thoroughly 
cooked,  close-grained,  crisp  biscuit. 

Corn  pone  is  made  in  the  same  manner 
with  cornmeal  as  the  basis. 

Flapjack  flour  is  mixed  with  water  sim- 
ply; but  you  will  find  that  a  tablespoonful 
of  sugar  not  only  adds  to  the  flavor,  but 
causes  it  to  brown  crisper.  It  is  equally  good 
Flapjohn  baked  in  loaves.  The  addition  of  an  extra 
spoonful  of  sugar,  two  eggs  (from  your 
canned  desiccated  eggs),  raisins  and  cinna- 
mon makes  a  delicious  camp  cake.  This  is 
known  as  "flapjohn" — a  sort  of  sublimated 
flapjack. 

Puddings, — The  general  logic  of  a  camp- 
baked  pudding  is  this: 

You  have  first  of  all  your  base,  which  is 
generally  of  rice,  cornmeal,  or  breakfast 
138 


CAMP   COOKERY 

food  previously  boiled;  second,  your  filling, 
which  may  be  raisins,  prunes,  figs,  or  any 
other  dried  fruit;  third,  your  sweetening, 
which  is  generally  sugar,  but  may  be  syrup, 
honey,  or  saccharine  tablets;  fourth,  your 
seasoning,  which  must  be  what  you  have —  How  to 
cinnamon,  nutmeg,  lemon,  etc.,  and  last,  p^jj^J^^gg 
your  coagulating  material,  which  must  be  a 
small  portion  of  your  egg  powder.  With 
this  general  notion  you  can  elaborate. 

The  portions  of  materials,  inclusive  of 
other  chance  possessions,  the  arrangement 
of  the  ingredients  determines  the  naming 
of  the  product.  Thus  you  can  mix  your 
fruit  all  through  the  pudding,  or  you  can 
place  it  in  layers  between  strata  of  the 
mixture. 

As  an  example:  Boil  one-half  cupful  of 
rice  with  raisins,  until  soft,  add  one-half 
cupful  of  sugar,  a  half  spoonful  of  cinna- 
mon, and  a  tablespoonful  of  egg  powder. 
Add  water  (water  mixed  with  condensed 
milk,  if  you  have  it)  until  quite  thin.  Bake 
in  moderate  heat.  Another:  Into  two 
139 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

cups  of  boiling  water  pour  a  half  cup  of 
cornmeal.  Sprinkle  it  in  slowly,  and  stir 
in  order  to  prevent  lumps.  As  soon  as  it 
thickens,  which  will  be  in  half  a  minute,  re- 
move from  the  fire.  Mix  in  a  quarter  cup  of 
syrup,  some  figs  which  have  been  soaked,  a 
spoonful  of  egg  powder,  milk  if  you  have 
it,  and  the  flavoring — if  you  happen  to  have 
tucked  in  a  can  of  ginger,  that  is  the  best. 
The  mixture  should  be  thin.  Bake  before 
moderate  fire. 

I  am  not  going  on  to  elaborate  a  number 
of  puddings  by  name ;  that  is  where  the  cook- 
books make  their  mistake.     But  with  this 
logical  basis,  you  will  soon  invent  all  sorts  of 
delicious  combinations.     Some  will  be  fail- 
ures, no  doubt ;  but  after  you  get  the  knack 
you  will  be  able  to  improvise  on  the  least 
promising  materials. 
Experiment       Do  not  forget  that  mixing  ingredients  is 
Freely  in      always   worth   trying.     A   combination   of 
rice  and  oatmeal  boiled  together  does  not 
sound  very  good,  but  it  is  delicious,  and  quite 
unlike   either   of  its  component   parts.     I 
140 


CAMP    COOKERY 

instance  it  merely  as  an  example  of  a  dozen  ^  ~ 

similar. 

Tea, — The  usual  way  of  cooking  tea  is  to 
pour  the  hot  water  on  the  leaves.  If  used 
immediately  this  is  the  proper  way.  When, 
however,  as  almost  invariably  happens  about 
camp,  the  water  is  left  standing  on  the  leaves 
for  some  time,  the  tannin  is  extracted.  This  How  to 
makes  a  sort  of  tea  soup,  at  once  bitter  and 
unwholesome.  A  simple  and  easy  way  is  to 
provide  yourself  with  a  piece  of  cheesecloth 
about  six  inches  square.  On  the  center  drop 
your  dose  of  dry  tea  leaves.  Gather  up  the 
corners,  and  tie  into  a  sort  of  loose  bag. 
Pour  the  hot  water  over  this,  and  at  the  end 
of  five  minutes  fish  out  the  bag.  Untie  it, 
shake  loose  the  tea  leaves,  and  tuck  away 
until  next  time.  The  tea  in  the  pot  can 
then  be  saved  for  the  late  fisherman  without 
fear  of  lining  his  stomach  with  leather. 
Also  it  is  no  trouble. 

Coffee,  too,  is  more  often  bad  than  good 
in  the  field.     The  usual  method  is  to  put  a 
couple  of  handfuls  in  cold  water,  bring  it 
141 


On  Coffee 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

to  a  boil,  and  then  set  it  aside  to  settle. 
Sometimes  it  is  good  that  way,  and  some- 
times it  isn't.  A  method  that  will  always 
succeed,  however,  is  as  follows:  Bend  an 
ordinary  piece  of  hay  wire  into  the  shape  of 
a  hoop,  slightly  larger  than  the  mouth  of 
your  pot.  On  it  sew  a  shallow  cheesecloth 
bag.  Put  your  ground  coffee  in  the  bag, 
suspend  in  the  coffee  pot,  and  pour  the  hot 
water  through.  If  you  like  it  extra  strong, 
pour  it  through  twice.  The  result  is  drip 
coffee,  delicious,  and  without  grounds.  To 
clean  the  bag  turn  it  inside  out  and  pour 
water  through.  Then  flatten  the  hay  wire 
hoop  slightly  and  tuck  it  away  inside  the  pot 
with  the  cups. 

Mush, — The  ideal  method  of  cooking 
mush  is  of  course  a  double  boiler  and  just 
the  amount  of  water  the  cereal  will  take  up. 
Over  an  open  fire,  that  would  result  in  a 
burned  product  and  a  caked  kettle.  The 
best  way  is  to  make  it  very  thin  at  first,  and 
to  boil  it  down  to  the  proper  consistency. 

Beans  will  boil  more  quickly  if  you  add 
142 


CAMP   COOKERY 

a  pinch  of  soda.  An  exaggerated  pinch, 
however,  causes  them  to  taste  soapy,  so  be- 
ware. If  the  water  boils  too  low,  add  more 
hot  water,  never  cold;  the  latter  toughens 
them.  When  soft  smash  them  with  a  fork, 
add  water,  and  cook  with  fat  in  the  frying 
pan. 

Hardtack, — A  most  delicious  dish  to  be  ^  q^^j,j^ 
eaten  immediately  is  made  of  pilot  bread  ^^^^ 
soaked  soft,  and  then  fried.  The  same 
cracker  fried  in  olive  oil,  without  being  pre- 
viously soaked,  comes  out  crisp  and  brown, 
but  without  impaired  transportability.  When 
butter  is  scarce  this  is  a  fine  way  to  treat 
them  in  preparation  for  a  cold  lunch  by  the 
way. 

Macaroni  should  be  plunged  in  boiling 
water,  otherwise  it  gets  tough.  What  re- 
mains should  be  baked  in  mixture  with 
whatever  else  is  left — whether  meal,  cereal, 
or  vegetable. 

Corn, — After  you  have  eaten  what  you 
want  of  the  warmed-up,  mix  what  is  left 
with  a  spoonful  or  so  of  sugar,  some  diluted 
143 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

milk,  and  a  spoonful  of  egg  powder.    Bake 
it. 

Salmon  may  be  eaten  cold,  but  is  better 
hashed  up  with  bread  crumbs,  well  moist- 
ened, and  baked  before  a  hot  fire. 

These  are  but  a  few  general  hints  which 

you  will  elaborate  on.     The  Price  Baking 

Cook-Books  Powder   Co.   publish  gratis   a   "Mine   and 

Ranch  Cookery"  which  is  practical.     Also 

read  Nessmuk's  Woodcraft, 

A  LIST  OF  SOME  OF  THE  DISHES  POSSIBLE  WITHOUT  TOO 
MUCH  TROUBLE  FROM  THE  GRUB  LIST  GIVEN  IN  THE 
LAST    CHAPTER 

1.  Fried  bacon  14.  Dumplings 

2.  Fried  ham  15.  Boston  brown  bread 

3.  Broiled  ham  16.  Brown  bread  gems 

4.  Boiled  ham  17.  Boiled  hominy 

5.  Plain  bread  18.  Fried  hominy 

6.  Biscuits  19.  Hominy  pudding 

7.  Johnny  cake  20.  Indian  puddings  (three 

8.  Oatmeal  or  cereal  muf-  or  four  sorts) 

fins  21.  Cereal  puddings  (three 

9.  Pancakes  or  flapjacks  or  four  sorts) 

10.  Buckwheat  bread  22.  Oatmeal  mush 

11.  Corn  pone  23.  Oatmeal  and  rice  mush 

12.  Unleavened  bread  24.  Fried  mush. 

13.  Spice  cakes  25.  Boiled  rice 

144 


CAMP   COOKERY 


26.  Rice  and  raisins 

27.  Rice  cakes 

28.  Rice  biscuits 

29.  Rice  pudding 

30.  Tea 

31.  Coffee 

32.  Baked  potatoes 

33.  Boiled  potatoes 

34.  Mashed  potatoes 

35.  Fried  potatoes 

36.  Boiled  onions 

37.  Fried  onions. 

38.  Stewed  fruits 

39.  Boiled  beans 

40.  Fried  beans 

56.  Julienne, 


41.  Baked  beans 

42.  Fried  hardtack 

43.  Boiled  macaroni 

44.  Baked  macaroni 

45.  Corn 

46.  Corn  fritters 

47.  Corn  pudding 

48.  Succotash 

49.  Baked  salmon 

50.  Baked  corned  beef 

51.  Fried  corned  beef 

52.  Omelet 

53.  Scrambled  eggs 

54.  Soup  (several  kinds) 

55.  Beans 
Iboiled  or  fried. 


Grub  List 


This  leaves  out  of  account  the  various 
hybrid  mixtures  of  "what  is  left,"  and  the 
meal  and  fish  dishes  in  a  good  sporting 
country.  As  a  matter  of  fact  mixtures  gen- 
erally bake  better  than  they  boil. 


145 


HORSE   OUTFITS 


w 


CHAPTER   IX 

HORSE   OUTFITS 


E  have  now  finished  the  detailing  Riding 
of  your  wear  and  food.     There 


remains  still  the  problem  of  how 
you  and  it  are  to  be  transported.  You  may 
travel  through  the  wilderness  by  land  or  by 
water.  In  the  former  case  you  will  either 
go  afoot  or  on  horseback;  in  the  latter  you 
will  use  a  canoe.  Let  us  now  consider  in 
detail  the  equipments  necessary  for  these 
different  sorts  of  travel. 

You  will  find  the  Mexican  or  cowboy  sad- 
dle the  only  reallj^  handy  riding  saddle.  I 
am  fully  aware  of  the  merits  of  the  McClel- 
lan  and  army  saddles,  but  they  lack  what 
seems  to  me  one  absolute  essential,  and  that 
is  the  pommel  or  horn.  By  wrapping  your 
rope  about  the  latter  you  can  lead  reluc- 
tant horses,  pull  firewood  to  camp,  extract 
bogged  animals,  and  rope  shy  stock.  With- 
149 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

out  it  you  are  practically  helpless  in  such 
circumstances.  The  only  advantage  claimed 
for  the  army  saddle  is  its  lightness.  The 
difference  in  weight  between  it  and  the  cow- 
boy saddle  need  not  be  so  marked  as  is  ordi- 
narily the  case.  A  stock  saddle,  used  daily 
in  roping  heavy  cows,  weighs  quite  properly 
from  thirty-five  to  fifty  pounds.     The  same 


Sawbuck  Saddle.  Riding  Saddle. 

saddle,  of  lighter  leather  throughout,  made 
by  a  conscientious  man,  need  weigh  but 
twenty-five  or  thirty,  and  will  still  be  strong 
and  durable  enough  for  all  ordinary  use. 
My  own  weighs  but  twenty-five  pounds,  and 
has  seen  some  very  hard  service. 
Stirrups  ^pJ^g  stirrup  leathers  are  best  double,  and 
should  be  laced,  never  buckled.  In  fact  the 
logic  of  a  wilderness  saddle  should  be  that  it 
can  be  mended  in  any  part  with  thongs.  The 
150 


HORSE    OUTFITS 

stirrups  themselves  should  have  light  hood 
tapaderos,  or  coverings.  They  will  help  in 
tearing  through  brush,  will  protect  your 
toes,  and  will  keep  your  feet  dry  in  case  of 
rain.  I  prefer  the  round  rather  than  the 
square  skirts. 

In  a  cow  country  you  will  hear  many  and 
heated  discussions  over  the  relative  merits 
of  the  single  broad  cinch  crossing  rather  far 
back;  and  the  double  cinches,  one  just  behind 
the  shoulder  and  the  other  on  the  curve  of 
the  belly.  The  double  cinch  is  universally 
used  by  Wyoming  and  Arizona  cowmen; 
and  the  "center  fire"  by  Californians  and 
Mexicans  —  and  both  with  equally  heated 
partisanship.  Certainly  as  it  would  be  dif- 
ficult to  say  which  are  the  better  horsemen, 
so  it  would  be  unwise  to  attempt  here  a  dog- 
matic settlement  of  the  controversy. 

For  ordinary  mountain  travel,  however, 
I  think  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  double 
cinch  is  the  better.  It  is  less  likely  to  slip 
forward  or  back  on  steep  hills;  it  need  not 
be  so  tightly  cinched  as  the  "center  fire,"  and 
151 


Cinches 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

can  be  adjusted,  according  to  which  you 
draw  the  tighter,  for  up  or  down  hill.  The 
front  cinch  should  be  made  of  hair.  I  have 
found  that  the  usual  cord  cinches  are  apt  to 
wear  sores  just  back  of  the  shoulder,     Web- 


How  to 

Attach  tho 
Cinch 


Proper  Way  of  Ar- 
ranging Straps  on 
Holster  and  Saddle. 


Saddle  Holster — Usual  Ar- 
rangement of  Straps. 


bing  makes  a  good  back  cinch.  The  handi- 
est rig  for  attaching  them  is  that  used  by 
the  Texan  and  Wyoming  cowmen.  It  is  a 
heavy  oiled  latigo  strap,  punched  with  buckle 
holes,  passing  through  a  cinch  ring  supplied 
with  a  large  buckle  tongue.  You  can  reach 
over  and  pull  it  up  a  hole  or  so  without  dis- 
mounting. It  differs  from  an  ordinary 
buckle  only  in  that,  in  case  the  rig  breaks, 
152 


HORSE    OUTFITS 


the  strap  can  still  be  fastened  like  an  ordi- 
nary lafcigo  in  the  diamond  knot. 

On  the  right-hand  side  of  your  pommel    Saddle 
will  be  a  strap  and  buckle  for  your  riata.    A    saddle 
pair  of  detachable  leather  saddle  bags  are    ^^^^^^^ 
handy.     The  saddle  blanket  should  be  thick 
and  of   first   quality;   and  should   be   sur- 
mounted by  a  "corona"  to  prevent  wrinkling 
under  the  slight  movement  of  the  saddle. 

A  heavy  quirt  is  indispensable,  both  for    Q^vcts 
your  own  mount,  if  he  prove  refractory,  but 
also  for  the  persuasion  of  the  pack  horse. 

When  with  a  large  outfit,  however,  I  al- 
ways carry  a  pea  shooter  or  sling  shot.  With 
it  a  man  can  spot  a  straying  animal  at  con- 
siderable distance,  generally  much  to  the 
truant's  astonishment.  After  a  little  it  will 
rarely  be  necessary  to  shoot;  a  mere  snap- 
ping of  the  rubbers  will  bring  every  horse 
into  line. 

The  handiest  and  best  rig  for  a  riding    Bridies 

bridle  can  be  made  out  of  an  ordinary  halter. 

Have  your  harness  maker  fasten  a  snap 

hook  to  either  side  and  just  above  the  cor- 

153 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 


Rlatas  and 
Spurs 


Scabbards 


ners  of  the  horse's  mouth.  When  you  start 
in  the  morning  you  snap  your  bit  and  reins 
to  the  hooks.  When  you  arrive  in  the  eve- 
ning you  simply  unsnap  the  bit,  and  leave 
the  halter  on. 

Rope  and  spurs  will  be  necessary.  I  pre- 
fer the  Mexican  grass  rope  with  a  brass 
honda  to  the  rawhide  riata,  because  I  am 
used  to  it.  I  once  used  a  linen  rope  with 
weighted  honda  that  was  soft  and  threw 
well.  The  spurs  will  be  of  good  steel,  of 
the  cowboy  pattern,  w^ith  blunt  rowels.  The 
smaller  spurs  are  not  so  easy  to  reach  a  small 
horse  with,  and  are  apt  to  overdo  the  matter 
when  they  do.  The  wide  spur  leathers  are 
to  protect  the  boot  from  chafing  on  the 
stirrups. 

There  remains  only  your  rifle  to  attend 
to.  The  usual  scabbard  is  invariably  slung 
too  far  forward.  I  always  move  the  sling 
strap  as  near  the  mouth  of  the  scabbard  as 
it  will  go.  The  other  sling  strap  I  detach 
from  the  scabbard  and  hang  loopwise  from 
the  back  latigo-ring.  Then  I  thrust  the 
154 


HORSE    OUTFITS 

muzzle  of  the  scabbarded  rifle  between  the 
stirrup  leathers  and  through  this  loop,  hang 
the  forward  sling  strap  over  the  pommel — 
and  there  I  am!  The  advantage  is  that  I 
can  remove  rifle  and  scabbard  without  un- 
buckling any  straps.  The  gun  should  hang 
on  the  left  side  of  the  horse  so  that  after 
dismounting  you  need  not  w^alk  around  him 
to  get  it.  A  little  experiment  will  show  you 
how  near  the  horizontal  you  can  sling  it  with- 
out danger  of  its  jarring  out. 

So  much  for  your  own  riding  horse.     The     pack 
pack  outfit  consists  of  the  pack  saddle,  with     ^"^^^^ 
the  apparatus  to  keep  it  firm;  its  padding; 
the  kyacks,  or  alforjas — sacks  to  sling  on 
either  side ;  and  the  lash  rope  and  cinch  with 
which  to  throw  the  hitches. 

The  almost  invariable  type  of  pack  saddle  pack 
is  the  sawbuck.  If  it  is  bought  with  espe-  Saddles 
cial  reference  to  the  animal  it  is  to  be  used 
on,  it  is  undoubtedly  the  best.  But  nothing 
will  more  quickly  gouge  a  hole  in  a  horse's 
back  than  a  saddle  too  narrow  or  too  wide 
for  his  especial  anatomy.  A  saddle  of  this 
155 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 


sort  bolted  together  can  be  taken  apart  for 
easier  transportation  by  baggage  or  express. 
Another  and  very  good  type  of  pack  rig 
is  that  made  from  an  old  riding  saddle.  The 
stirrup  rigging  is  removed,  and  an  upright 
spike  bolted  strongly  to  the  cantle.  The 
loops  of  the  kyacks  are  to  be  hung  over  the 


Under  Side  of  Pack 
Saddles. 


Shape  of  Collar  Pac^ 
fur  Pack  Saddles, 


Aparejos 


horn  and  this  spike.  Such  a  saddle  is  apt 
to  be  easy  on  a  hprse's  back,  but  is  after  all 
merely  a  make-shift  for  a  properly  con- 
structed sawbuck. 

I  shall  only  mention  the  aparejos.  This 
rig  is  used  for  freighting  boxes  and  odd"- 
shaped  bundles.  It  is  practically  nothing 
but  a  heavy  pad,  and  is  used  without  kyacks. 
You  will  probably  never  be  called  upon  to 
156 


Pads 


HORSE    OUTFITS 

use  it ;  but  in  another  chapter  I  will  describe 
one  "sling"  in  order  that  you  may  be  fore- 
armed against  contingencies. 

We  will  assume  that  you  are  possessed  of 
a  good  sawbuck  saddle  of  the  right  size  for 
your  pack  animal.  It  will  have  the  double 
cinch  rig.  To  the  under  surfaces  tack  firmly 
two  ordinary  collar-pads  by  way  of  soften- 
ing. Beneath  them  you  will  use  two  blank- 
ets, each  as  heavy  as  the  one  you  place  under 
your  riding  saddle.  This  abundance  is  nec- 
essary because  a  pack  "rides  dead" — that  is, 
does  not  favor  the  horse  as  does  a  living 
rider.  By  way  of  warning,  however,  too 
much  is  almost  as  bad  as  too  little. 

The  almost  universal  saddle  rigging  in  use  ^^^^^ting 
the  West  over  is  a  breast  strap  of  webbing  Breeching 
fastened  at  the  forward  points  of  the  sad- 
dle, and  a  breech  strap  fastened  to  the  back 
points  of  the  saddle,  with  guy  lines  running 
from  the  top  to  prevent  its  falling  too  far 
down  the  horse's  legs.  This,  with  the  double 
cinch,  works  fairly  well.  Its  main  trouble 
is  that  the  breech  strap  is  apt  to  work  up 
157 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

under  the  horse's  tail,  and  the  breast  strap 
is  likely  to  shut  off  his  wind  at  the  throat. 
The  Britten  -^^'  Ernest  Britten,  a  mountaineer  in  the 
Pack  Rig  Sierras,  has,  however,  invented  a  rig  which 
in  the  nicety  of  its  compensations,  and  the 
accuracy  of  its  adjustments  is  perfection. 


Mr.  Ernest  Britten's  Pack  Rig, 

Every  one  becames  a  convert,  and  hastens  to 
alter  his  own  outfit. 

The  breasting  is  a  strap  (a)  running  from 
the  point  of  the  saddle  to  a  padded  ring  in 
the  middle  of  the  chest.  Thence  another 
strap  (b)  runs  to  the  point  of  the  saddle  on 
the  other  side,  where  it  buckles.  A  third 
strap  {c)  in  the  shape  of  a  loop  goes  be- 
158 


HORSE   OUTFITS 

tween  the  fore  legs  and  around  the  front  ^ 

cuich. 

The  breeching  is  somewhat  more  compli- 
cated.    I  think,  however,  with  a  few  rivets,    ^^^  Britten 
straps,  and  buckles  you  will  be  able  to  alter    ^*^^  ^^ 
your  own  saddle  in  half  an  hour. 

The  back  cinch  you  remove.     A  short 
strap  {d),  riveted  to  the  middle  of  the  front 


Ordinary  and  Inferior  Pack  Rig  Usually  Employed. 

cinch,  passes  back  six  inches  to  a  ring  {e). 
This  ring  will  rest  on  the  middle  of  the  belly. 
From  the  ring  two  other  straps  (//)  ascend 
diagonally  to  the  buckles  (^)  in  the  ends  of 
the  breeching.  From  the  ends  of  the  breech- 
ing other  straps  (h)  attach  to  what  would  be 
the  back  cinch  ring  (k).  That  constitutes 
159 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

the  breeching  rig.  It  is  held  up  by  a  long 
strap  (m)  passing  from  one  side  to  the 
other  over  the  horse's  rump  through  a  ring 
on  top.  The  ring  is  attached  to  the  saddle 
by  a  short  strap  (n). 

Such  a  rig  prevents  the  breeching  from 
riding  up  or  dropping  down;  it  gives  the 
horse  all  his  wind  going  up  hill,  but  holds 
firmly  going  down;  when  one  part  loosens, 
the  other  tightens ;  and  the  saddle  cinch,  ex- 
cept to  keep  the  saddle  from  turning,  is 
practically  useless  and  can  be  left  compara- 
tively loose.  I  cannot  too  strongly  recom- 
mend you,  both  for  your  horse's  comfort  and 
your  own,  to  adopt  this  rigging. 
Kyacks  The  kyacks,  as  I  have  said,  are  two  sacks 
to  be  slung  one  on  each  side  of  the  horse. 
They  are  provided  with  loops  by  which  to 
hang  them  over  the  sawbucks  of  the  saddle, 
and  a  long  strap  passes  from  the  outside  of 
one  across  the  saddle  to  a  buckle  on  the  out- 
side of  the  other. 

Undoubtedly  the  best  are  those  made  of 
rawhide.    They  weigh  very  little,  will  stand 
160 


HORSE    OUTFITS 

all  sorts  of  hard  usage,  hold  the  pack  rope 
well,  are  so  stiff  that  they  well  protect  the 
contents,  and  are  so  hard  that  miscellaneous 
sharp-cornered  utensils  may  be  packed  in 
them  without  fear  of  injury  either  to  them 
or  the  animal.  They  are  made  by  lacing 
wet  hides,  hair  out,  neatly  and  squarely  over 
one  of  the  wooden  boxes  built  to  pack  two 
five  gallon  oil  cans.  A  round  hardwood 
stick  is  sewn  along  the  top  on  one  side — to 
this  the  sling  straps  are  to  be  attached. 
After  the  hide  has  dried  hard,  the  wooden 
box  is  removed. 

Only  one  possible  objection  can  be  urged 
against  rawhide  kyacks;  if  you  are  travel- 
ing much  by  railroad,  they  are  exceedingly 
awkward  to  ship.  For  that  purpose  they 
are  better  made  of  canvas. 

Many  canvas  kyacks  are  on  the  market,  Canvas 
and  most  of  them  are  worthless.  It  is  aston- 
ishing how  many  knocks  they  are  called  on 
to  receive  and  how  soon  the  abrasion  of 
rocks  and  trees  will  begin  to  wear  them 
through.  Avoid  those  made  of  light  ma- 
161 


Kyacks 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

terial.  Avoid  also  those  made  in  imitation 
of  the  rawhide  with  a  stick  along  the  top  of 
one  side  to  take  the  sling  straps.  In  no 
time  the  ends  of  that  stick  will  punch 
through.  The  best  sort  are  constructed  of 
OO  canvas.  The  top  is  made  of  a  half -inch 
rope  sewn  firmly  to  the  hem  all  around. 
The  sling  straps  are  long,  and  riveted  firmly. 
The  ends  are  reinforced  with  leather.  Such 
kyacks  will  give  you  good  service  and  last 
you  a  long  time.  When  you  wish  to  express 
them,  you  pack  your  saddle  and  saddle 
blankets  in  one,  telescope  the  other  over  it, 
and  tie  up  the  bundle  with  the  lash  rope. 
Lash  Ropes  The  lash  rope  is  important,  for  you  will 
have  to  handle  it  much,  and  a  three  months' 
trip  with  a  poor  one  would  lose  you  your 
immortal  soul.  Most  articles  on  the  sub- 
ject advise  thirty-three  feet.  That  is  long 
enough  for  the  diamond  hitch  and  for  other 
hitches  with  a  very  small  top  pack,  but  it 
will  not  do  for  many  valuable  hitches  on  a 
bulky  pack.  Forty  feet  is  nearer  the  ticket. 
The  best  is  a  manila  half  inch  or  five-eighth 
162 


HORSE    OUTFITS 

inch.  If  you  boil  it  before  starting  out,  you 
will  find  it  soft  to  handle.  The  boiling  does 
not  impair  its  strength.  Parenthetically:  do 
not  become  over-enthusiastic  and  boil  your 
riata,  or  you  will  make  it  aggravatingly 
kinky.  Cotton  rope  is  all  right,  but  apt  to  be 
stiff.  I  once  used  a  linen  rope ;  it  proved  to 
be  soft,  strong,  and  held  well,  but  I  have 
never  been  able  to  find  another. 

The  cinch  hook  sold  with  the  outfit  is  sawn  Cinch  Hooks 
into  shape  and  strengthened  with  a  bolt.  If 
you  will  go  out  into  the  nearest  oak  grove, 
however,  you  can  cut  yourself  a  natural 
hook  which  will  last  longer  and  hold  much 
better.  The  illustration  shows  the  method 
of  attaching  such  a  hook. 

So  you  have  your  horses  ready  for  their  ^^^^^ 
burdens.  Picket  ropes  should  be  of  half -inch 
rope  and  about  50  feet  long.  The  bell  for 
the  bell  horse  should  be  a  loud  one,  with  dis- 
tinctive note  not  easily  blended  with  natural 
sounds,  and  attached  to  a  broad  strap  with 
safety  buckle. 

Hobbles  are  of  two  patterns.    Both  con- 
163 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

Hobbles  sist  of  heavy  leather  straps  to  buckle  around 
either  front  leg  and  connected  by  two  links 
and  a  swivel.  In  one  the  strap  passes  first 
through  the  ring  to  which  the  links  are 


Natural  Cinch  Hook  of  Oak, 

attached,  and  then  to  the  buckle.  The  other 
buckles  first,  and  then  the  end  is  carried 
through  the  ring.  You  will  find  the  first 
mentioned  a  decided  nuisance,  especially  on 
a  wet  or  frosty  morning,  for  the  leather 
tends  to  atrophy  in  a  certain  position  from 
which  numbed  fingers  have  more  than  a  lit- 
164 


HORSE    OUTFITS 

tie  difficulty  in  dislodging  it.     The  latter, 
however,  are  comparatively  easy  to  undo. 

Hobbles  should  be  lined.  I  have  experi- 
mented with  various  materials,  including 
the  much  lauded  sheepskin  with  the  wool  on. 
The  latter  when  wet  chafes  as  much  as  raw 
leather,  and  when  frozen  is  about  as  valu- 
able as  a  wood  rasp.     The  best  lining  is  a 


A— Wash  Leather.  C— Steel  Ring. 

B — Heavy  Leather.  D — Buckle. 

E — Swivel. 

Hobbles — Wrong  (Upper)  and  Right  Sort. 

piece  of  soft  wash  leather  at  least  two  inches- 
wider  than  the  hobble  straps. 

With  most  horses  it  is  sufficient  to  strap    How  to 
a  pair  of  these   around  the   forelegs   and 
above  the  fetlocks.    A  gentle  animal  can  be 
trusted  with  them  fastened  below. 

But  many  horses  by  dint  of  practice  or 
plain  native  cussedness  can  hop  along  with 
hobbles  nearly  as  fast  as  they  could  foot- 
165 


Attach 
Hobbles 


Side  Lines 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

free,  and  a  lot  too  fast  for  you  to  catch  them 
single  handed.  Such  an  animal  is  an  un- 
mitigated bother.  Of  course  if  there  is  good 
staking  you  can  picket  him  out;  but  quite 
likely  he  is  unused  to  the  picket  rope,  or  the 
feed  is  scant. 

In  that  case  it  may  be  that  side  lines — 
which  are  simply  hobbles  by  which  a  hind 
foot  and  a  fore  foot  are  shackled — may 
work.  I  have  had  pretty  good  success  by 
fastening  a  short  heavy  chain  to  one  fore  leg. 
As  long  as  the  animal  fed  quietly,  he  was  all 
right,  but  an  attempt  at  galloping  or  trot- 
ting swung  the  chain  sufficiently  to  rap  him 
sharply  across  the  shins. 

Very  good  hobbles  can  be  made  from  a 
single  strand  unraveled  from  a  large  rope, 
doubled  once  to  make  a  loop  for  one  leg, 
twisted  strongly,  the  two  ends  brought 
around  the  other  leg  and  then  thrust  through 
the  fibers.  This  is  the  sort  used  generally 
by  cowboys.  They  are  soft  and  easily  car- 
ried, but  soon  wear  out. 


166 


HORSE   PACKS 


CHAPTER   X 

HORSE  PACKS 

ALMOST  any  one  can  put  together  a 
comparatively  well  made  back  pack, 
and  very  slight  practice  will  enable  a 
beginner  to  load  a  canoe.  But  the  packing  Generalities 
of  a  horse  or  mule  is  another  matter.  The 
burden  must  be  properly  weighted,  properly 
balanced,  properly  adjusted^  and  properly 
tied  on.  That  means  practice  and  consid- 
erable knowledge. 

To  the  average  wilderness  traveler  the 
possession  of  a  pack  saddle  and  canvas 
kyacks  simplifies  the  problem  considerably. 
If  you  were  to  engage  in  packing  as  a  busi- 
ness, wherein  probably  you  would  be  called 
on  to  handle  packages  of  all  shapes  and 
sizes,  however,  you  would  be  compelled  to 
discard  your  kyacks  in  favor  of  a  sling  made 
of  rope.  And  again  it  might  very  well  hap- 
169 


Pack 
Models 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

pen  that  some  time  or  another  you  might  be 
called  on  to  transport  your  plunder  without 
appliances  on  an  animal  caught  up  from  the 
pasture.  For  this  reason  you  must  further 
know  how  to  hitch  a  pack  securely  to  a  naked 
horse. 

In  this  brief  resume  of  possibilities  you 
can  see  it  is  necessary  that  you  know  at  least 
three  methods  of  throwing  a  lash  rope — a 
hitch  to  hold  your  top  pack  and  kyacks,  a 
sling  to  support  your  boxes  on  the  aparejos, 
and  a  hitch  for  the  naked  horse.  But  in 
addition  it  will  be  desirable  to  understand 
other  hitches  adapted  to  different  exigencies 
of  bulky  top  packs,  knobby  kyacks  and  the 
like.  One  hitch  might  hold  these  all  well 
enough,  but  the  especial  hitch  is  better. 

The  detailment  of  processes  by  diagram 
must  necessarily  be  rather  dull  reading.  It 
can  be  made  interesting  by  an  attempt  to 
follow  out  in  actual  practice  the  hitches  de- 
scribed. For  this  purpose  you  do  not  need 
a  full-size  outfit.  A  pair  of  towels  folded 
compactly,  tied  together,  and  thrown  one 
170 


HORSE   PACKS 

each  side  over  a  bit  of  stove  wood  to  repre- 
sent the  horse  makes  a  good  pack,  while  a 
string  with  a  bent  nail  for  cinch  hook  will 
do  as  lash  rope.  With  these  you  can  follow 
out  each  detail. 

First  of  all  you  must  be  very  careful  to  saddling 
get  your  saddle  blankets  on  smooth  and  *^®  ^°^^® 
without  wrinkles.  Hoist  the  saddle  into 
place,  then  lift  it  slightly  and  loosen  the 
blanket  along  the  length  of  the  backbone, 
so  that  the  weight  of  the  pack  will  not  bind 
the  blanket  tight  across  the  horse's  back.  In 
cinching  up,  be  sure  you  know  your  animal ; 
some  pufF  themselves  out  so  that  in  five  min- 
utes the  cinch  will  hang  loose.  Fasten  your 
latigo  or  cinch  straps  to  the  lower  ring. 
Thus  you  can  get  at  it  even  when  the  pack 
is  in  place. 

Distribute  the  weight  carefully  between  packing 
the  kyacks.  "Heft"  them  again  and  again.  ^®  Kyacks 
The  least  preponderance  on  one  side  will 
cause  a  saddle  to  sag  in  that  direction;  that 
in  turn  will  bring  pressure  to  bear  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  withers,  and  that  will 
171 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

surely  chafe  to  a  sore.     Then  you  are  in 
trouble. 

When  you  are  quite  sure  the  kyacks 
weigh  alike,  get  your  companion  to  hang 
one  on  the  pack  saddle,  at  the  same  time  you 
hook  the  straps  of  the  other.  If  you  try  to 
do  it  by  yourself  you  must  leave  one  hang- 
ing while  you  pick  up  the  other,  thus  run- 
ning a  good  risk  of  twisting  the  saddle. 

Top  Packs  Your  top  pack  you  will  build  as  the  occa- 
sion demands.  In  general,  try  to  make  it  as 
low  as  possible  and  to  get  your  blankets  on 
top  where  the  pack  rope  "bites."  The  strap 
connecting  the  kyacks  is  then  buckled.  Over 
all  you  will  throw  the  canvas  tarpaulin  that 
you  use  to  sleep  on.  Tuck  it  in  back  and 
front  to  exclude  dust.  It  is  now  ready  for 
the  pack  rope. 

Jam  Hitch  ^'  ^^^  ^^^  HitcTi. — ^AU  hitches  possess 
one  thing  in  common — the  rope  passes 
around  the  horse  and  through  the  cinch 
hook.  The  first  pull  is  to  tighten  that  cinch. 
Afterward  other  maneuvers  are  attempted. 
Now  ordinarily  the  packer  pulls  tight  his 
172 


HORSE   PACKS 

cinch,  and  then  in  the  further  throwing  of  jam  Hitch 
the  hitch  he  depends  on  holding  his  slack.    It 
is  a  very  difficult  thing  to  do.    With  the  jam 
hitch,   however,   the  necessity  is  obviated. 


The  Jam  Hitch. 

The  beauty  of  it  is  that  the  rope  renders 
freely  one  way — the  way  you  are  pulling — 
but  will  not  give  a  hair  the  other — the  direc- 
tion of  loosening.  So  you  may  heave  up 
the  cinch  as  tightly  as  you  please,  then  drop 
173 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

the  rope  and  go  on  about  your  packing  per- 
fectly sure  that  nothing  is  going  to  slip  back 
on  you. 

The  rope  passes  once  around  the  shank 
of  the  hook,  and  then  through  the  jaw  (see 
diagram).  Be  sure  to  get  it  around  the 
shank  and  not  the  curve.  Simplicity  itself; 
and  yet  I  have  seen  very  few  packers  who 
know  of  it. 

2.  The  Diamond  Hitch. — I  suppose  the 
Diamond  diamond  in  one  form  or  another  is  more 
used  than  any  other.  Its  merit  is  its  adap- 
tability to  different  shapes  and  sizes  of 
package — in  fact  it  is  the  only  hitch  good 
for  aparejo  packing — its  great  flattening 
power,  and  the  fact  that  it  rivets  the  pack 
to  the  horse's  sides.  If  you  are  to  learn  but 
one  hitch,  this  will  be  the  best  for  you,  al- 
though certain  others,  as  I  shall  explain 
under  their  proper  captions,  are  better 
adapted  to  certain  circumstances. 

The  diamond  hitch  is  also  much  discussed. 
I  have  heard  more  arguments  over  it  than 
over  the  Japanese  war  or  original  sin. 
174 


HORSE   PACKS 

"That  thing  a  diamond  hitch!"  shrieks  a 
son  of  the  foothills  to  a  son  of  the  alkali. 
"Go  to!  Looks  more  like  a  game  of  cat's 
cradle.  Now  this  is  the  real  way  to  throw 
a  diamond." 

Certain  pacifically  inclined  individuals 
have  attempted  to  quell  the  trouble  by  a 
differentiation  of  nomenclature.     Thus  one    ^  ,     ^ 

Colorado 

can  throw  a  number  of  diamond  hitches,    Versus 
provided  one  is  catholically  minded — such 
as  the  "Colorado  diamond,"  the  "Arizona 
diamond,"  and  others.    The  attempt  at  peace 
has  failed. 

"Oh,  yes,"  says  the  son  of  the  alkali  as 
he  watches  the  attempts  of  the  son  of  the 
foothills.  "That's  the  Colorado  diamond,'' 
as  one  would  say  that  is  a  paste  jewel. 

The  joke  of  it  is  that  the  results  are  about 
the  same.  Most  of  the  variation  consists  in 
the  manner  of  throwing.  It  is  as  though 
the  discvission  were  whether  the  trigger 
should  be  pulled  with  the  fore,  middle,  or 
both  fingers.  After  all,  the  bullet  would 
go  anyway. 

175 


Diamond 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

I  describe  here  the  single  diamond,  as 
thrown  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas,  and  the  dou- 
ble diamond  as  used  by  government  freight 
packers  in  many  parts  of  the  Rockies.  The 
former  is  a  handy  one-man  hitch.  The  lat- 
ter can  be  used  by  one  man,  but  is  easier 
with  two. 
The  Single  Throw  the  pack  cinch  (a)  over  the  top 
of  the  pack,  retaining  the  loose  end  of  the 
rope.  If  your  horse  is  bad,  reach  under  him 
with  a  stick  to  draw  the  cinch  within  reach 
of  your  hand  until  you  hold  it  and  the  loose 
end  both  on  the  same  side  of  the  animal. 
Hook  it  through  the  hook  {a.  Fig.  II)  and 
bring  up  along  the  pack.  Thrust  the  bight 
{a.  Fig.  Ill)  of  the  loose  rope  under  the 
rope  (b)  ;  the  back  over  and  again  under  to 
form  a  loop.  The  points  (c-c)  at  which  the 
loose  rope  goes  around  the  pack  rope  can  be 
made  wide  apart  or  close  together,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  diamond  required  (Fig.  V) . 
With  a  soft  top-pack  requiring  flattening, 
the  diamond  should  be  large ;  with  heavy  side 
pack,  smaller. 

176 


f^^-ip 


■§ 

» 


THE  SINGLE  DIAMOND. 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

Now  go  around  to  the  other  side  of  the 
animaL  Pass  the  loose  end  {d.  Fig.  Ill) 
back,  under  the  alforjas,  forward  and 
through  the  loop  from  below  as  shown  by 
the  arrows  of  dh*ection  m  Fig.  IV. 

You  are  now  ready  to  begin  tightening. 
First  pull  your  cinch  tight  by  means  of 
what  was  the  loose  end  (b)  in  Fig.  II. 
Place  one  foot  against  the  animal  and  heave, 
good  and  plenty.  Take  up  the  slack  by 
running  over  both  ends  of  the  loop  {c-c. 
Fig.  III).  When  you  have  done  this,  go 
around  the  other  side.  There  take  uj)  the 
slack  on  h-h.  Fig.  IV.  With  all  there  is  in 
you  pull  the  loose  end  {c.  Fig.  IV)  in  the 
direction  of  the  horse's  body,  toward  his 
head.  Brace  your  foot  against  the  kyacks. 
It  will  sag  the  whole  hitch  toward  the  front 
of  the  pack,  but  don't  mind  that :  the  defect 
will  be  remedied  in  a  moment. 

Next,  still  holding  the  slack   (Fig.  V), 

carry  the  loose  end  around  the  bottom  of  the 

alforjas  and  under  the  original  main  pack 

rope  (c).    Now  pull  again  along  the  direc- 

178 


HORSE    PACKS 

tion  of  the  horse's  body,  but  this  time  toward 
his  tail.  The  strain  will  bend  the  pack  rope 
(c) ,  heretofore  straight  across,  back  to  form 
the  diamond.  It  will  likewise  drag  back  to 
its  original  position  amidships  in  the  pack 
the  entire  hitch,  which,  you  will  remember, 
was  drawn  too  far  forward  by  your  previous 
pull  toward  the  horse's  head.  Thus  the  last 
pull  tightens  the  entire  pack,  clamps  it 
down,  secures  it  immovably,  which  is  the 
main  recommendation  and  beautiful  fea- 
ture of  the  diamond  hitch. 

The  double  diamond  is  a  much  more  com- 
plicated affair.  Begin  by  throwing  the 
cinch  under,  not  over  the  horse.  Let  it  lie 
there.  Lay  the  end  of  the  rope  (a)  length- 
wise of  the  horse  across  one  side  the  top  of 
the  pack  (Fig.  1).  Experience  will  teach 
you  just  how  big  to  leave  loop  (&) .  Throw 
loop  (b)  over  top  of  pack  (Fig.  2).  Re- 
verse loop  a  (Fig.  2)  by  turning  it  from 
left  to  right  (Fig.  3).  Pass  loop  {a) 
around  front  and  back  of  kyack,  and  end 
of  rope  d  ever  rope  c„  and  under  rope  d. 
179 


THE  DOUBLE  DIAMOND, 


THE  DOUBLE  DIAMOND. 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

Pass  around  the  horse  and  hook  the  cinch 
hook  in  loop  (e). 

This  forms  another  loop  {a^  Fig.  4), 
which  must  be  extended  to  the  proper  size 
and  passed  around  the  kyack  on  the  other 
side  (Fig.  5).  Now  tighten  the  cinch,  pull 
up  the  slack,  giving  strong  heaves  where 
the  hitch  pulls  forward  or  back  along  the 
left  of  the  horse,  ending  with  a  last  tight- 
ener at  the  end  {b^  Fig.  5).  The  end  is 
then  carried  back  under  the  kyack  and  fast- 
ened. 
Hit^ch^"*'*  3.  The  Square  Hitch  is  easily  and  quickly 
thrown,  and  is  a  very  good  fair-weather  lash. 
In  conjunction  with  half  hitches,  as  later 
explained,  it  makes  a  good  hitch  for  a  buck- 
ing horse.  For  a  very  bulky  pack  it  is  ex- 
cellent in  that  it  binds  in  so  many  places. 
It  is  thrown  as  follows: 

Throw  the  cinch  hook  over  the  pack,  and 
cinch  tight  with  the  jam  hitch  before  de- 
scribed. Lead  the  end  across  the  horse, 
around  the  back  of  kyack  on  the  other  side, 
underneath  it,  and  up  over  at  a.  The  end 
1S2 


HORSE   PACKS 

here  passes  beneath  at  b.     You  will  find   ntt'ch^"^'^ 
that  you  can,  when  you  cinch  up  at  first, 


The  Square  Hitch. 

throw  a  Joose  loop  over  the  pack  comprising 

the  bight  bedj  so  as  to  leave  your  loose 

183 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

end  at  d.  Then  place  the  loop  hed  around 
the  kyack.  A  moment's  study  of  the  dia- 
gram will  show  you  what  I  mean,  and  will 
also  convince  you  that  much  is  gained  by 
not  having  to  pass  rope  (a)  underneath 
at  h.  Now  pull  hard  on  loose  end  at  d, 
taking  care  to  exert  your  power  lengthwise 
of  the  horse.  Pass  the  line  under  the  alforjas 
toward  the  rear,  up  over  the  pack  and  under 
the  original  rope  at  c.  Pull  on  the  loose 
end,  this  time  exerting  the  power  toward  the 
rear.  You  cannot  put  too  much  strength 
into  the  three  tightening  pulls :  ( 1 )  in  cinch- 
ing through  the  cinch  hook;  (2)  the  pull 
forward;  (3)  the  pull  back.  On  them  de- 
pends the  stability  of  your  pack.  Double 
back  the  loose  end  and  fasten  it.  This  is  a 
very  quick  hitch. 
The  4.  The  Bucking   Hitch   is   good   to   tie 

Hitch        things  down  on  a  bad  horse,  but  it  is  other- 
wise useless  to  take  so  much  trouble. 

Pass  the  pack  rope  around  the  kyacks  on 
one  side,  and  over  itself.     This  forms  a  half 
hitch,  below  which  hangs  the  cinch.     Lead 
184 


HORSE  PACKS 

the  pack  rope  over  the  top  of  the  pack, 
ai'ound  the  other  kyack,  and  through  to  form 
another  half  hitch.     Cinch  up,  and  throw 


The  Bucking  Hitch, 

either  the  single  diamond  or  the  square  hitch. 
The  combination  will  clamp  the  kyacks  as 
firmly  as  anything  can. 

5.  The  Miner's  Hitch, — This  hitch  is  very   '^^^   , 

''     Miner's 

much  on  the  same  principle,  but  is  valuable   Hitch 
when  you  happen  to  be  provided  with  only 
a  short  rope,  or  a  cinch  with  two  rings,  in- 
stead of  a  ring  and  a  hook. 

Take  your  rope — with  the  cinch  unat- 
tached— by  the  middle  and  throw  it  across 
185 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

The  the  pack.     INIake  a  half  hitch  over  either 

Hitch       kyack.     These  half  hitches,  instead  of  ru^^- 

ning  around  the  sides  of  the  kyacks,  as  in 


The  Miner's  Hitch. 

186  "^ 


Packer 
Hitch 


HORSE   PACKS 

the  last  hitch,  should  run  around  the  top, 
bottom,  and  ends  (see  diagram).  Thrust 
bight  (b)  through  cinch  ring,  and  end  (a) 
through  the  bight.  Do  the  same  thing  on 
the  other  side.  Make  fast  end  a  at  c,  and 
end  d  at  e^  cinching  up  strongly  on  the 
bights  that  come  through  the  cinch  rings. 

6.  The  Lone  Packer  or  Basco  Hitch, —  The  Lone 
This  is  a  valuable  hitch  when  the  kyacks  are 
heavy  or  knobby,  because  the  last  pull  lifts 
them  away  from  the  horse's  sides.  It  re- 
quires at  least  forty  feet  of  rope.  I  use  it 
a  great  deal. 

Cinch  up  with  the  jam  hitch  as  usual. 
Throw  the  end  of  the  rope  across  the  horse, 
under  the  forward  end  of  the  kyack  on  the 
far  side,  beneath  it  and  up  over  the  rear  end 
of  the  kyack.  The  rope  in  all  other  hitches 
binds  against  the  bottom  of  the  kyacks ;  but 
in  this  it  should  pass  between  the  kyack  and 
the  horse's  side  (Fig.  1).  Now  bring  a 
bight  in  loose  end  {a)  forward  over  rope 
(c),  and  thrust  it  through  under  rope  (c) 
from  front  to  back  (Fig.  2).  Be  sure  to 
187 


THE  LONE  PACKER  HITCH, 


HORSE   PACKS 

get  this  right.  Hold  bight  (b)  with  left 
hand  where  it  is,  and  with  the  other  slide 
end  (a)  down  along  rope  (c)  until  beneath 


The  Lone  Packer  Hitch. 

the  kyacks  (Fig.  3).  Seize  rope  at  d 
and  pull  hard  directly  back;  then  pull 
einchwise  on  a.     The  first  pull  tightens  the 

189 


The  Lone 

Packer 

Hitch 


A  Modifi- 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

pack;  the  second  lifts  the  kyacks.  Carry 
end  (a)  across  the  pack  and  repeat  on  the 
other  side.  Fasten  finally  anywhere  on  top. 
Fig.  4  shows  one  side  completed,  with  rope 
thrown  across  ready  for  the  other  side. 
Fig.  5  is  a  view  from  above  of  the 
hitch,  completed  except  for  the  fastening 
of  end  (a). 

In  case  you  have  eggs  or  glassware  to 

cation  pack,  spread  your  tarp  on  the  horse  twice 

as  long  as  usual.     Cinch  up  with  the  jam 

hitch,  lay  your  eggs,  etc.,  atop  the  rope;  fold 

back  the  canvas  to  cover  the  whole,  and  then 

throw  the  lone  packer,  placing  one  rope 

each  side  the  package  (Figs.  6  and  7). 

Th   Sa  ^'  ^^^    Squaw    Hitch. — Often    it    may 

Hitch  happen  that  you  find  yourself  possessed  of 

a  rope  and  a  horse,  but  nothing  else.     It  is 

quite  possible  to  pack  your  equipment  with 

only  these  simple  auxiliaries. 

Lay  your  tarp  on  the  ground  fully  spread. 
On  half  of  it  pack  your  effects,  striving  al- 
ways to  keep  them  as  flat  and  smooth  as 
possible.     Fold  the  other  half  of  the  canvas 
190 


HORSE   PACKS 

to  cover  the  pack.  Lay  this  thick  mattress- 
like affair  across  the  horse's  bare  back,  and 
proceed  to  throw  the  squaw  hitch  as  follows : 

Throw  a  double  bight  across  the  top  of  j^^  ^  ^^^ 

Hitch 


ng.  3. 
The  Squaw  Hitch. 

the  pack  (Fig.  1).  Pass  end  a  under  the 
horse  and  through  loop  c;  and  end  b  under 
the  horse  and  through  loop  (d).  Take  both 
a  and  b  directly  back  under  the  horse  again, 
in  the  opposite  direction,  of  course,  and  pass 
191 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

both  through  loop   {e).    Now  cinch  up  on 
the  two  ends  and  fasten. 
Sling        8.  Sling  No,  1. — When  you  possess  no 
kyacks,  but  have  some  sort  of  pack  saddle, 
it  is  necessary  to  improvise  a  sling. 

Fasten  the  middle  of  your  rope  by  means 
of  two  half  hitches  to  the  front  of  the  pack 


Sling  No.  1. 

saddle  (Fig.  1).  Throw  the  ends  (h  b) 
crossed  as  shown  in  Fig.  2.  Place  the  box 
or  sack  in  bight  (a),  passing  the  rope  around 
the  outside  and  the  ends,  as  in  Fig.  3.  The 
end  of  the  sack  should  be  just  even  with  the 
front  of  the  pack  saddle.  If  you  bring  it 
too  far  forward  the  front  of  the  sling  will 
sag.  Pass  the  end  (6)  underneath  the  sack 
or  burden,  across  its  middle,  and  over  the  top 
192 


HORSE   PACKS 

of  the  saddle.  When  the  other  side  is  sim- 
ilarly laden,  the  ends  (b^b)  may  be  tied  to- 
gether at  the  top ;  or  if  they  are  long  enough, 
may  be  fastened  at  c  (Fig.  4) . 

9.  Sling  No,  2, — ^Another  sling  is  some-  Another 
times  handy  for  long  bundles,  and  is  made  as  ^^*^ 
follows : 


^linq  No.  2. 

Fasten  the  rope  by  the  middle  as  ex- 
plained in  the  last.  Fasten  ends  {b^  b)  to 
the  rear  horn  or  to  each  other  (see  dia- 
gram) .  Leave  the  bights  of  the  rope  {a^  a) 
of  sufficient  length  so  they  can  be  looped 
around  the  burden  and  over  the  horns.  This 
193 


Hitch 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

sling  is  useful  only  on  a  regular  pack  saddle, 
while  the  other  really  does  not  need  the  rear 
pommel  at  all,  as  the  ropes  can  be  crossed 
without  it. 
The  Saddle  10.  The  Saddle  Hitch, — There  remains 
now  the  possibility,  or  let  us  hope  proba- 
bility, that  you  may  some  day  wish  to  pack  a 
deer  on  your  riding  saddle,  or  perhaps  bring 
in  a  sack  of  grain  or  some  such  matter. 

Throw  the  rope  across  the  seat  of  the 
saddle,  leaving  long  ends  on  both  sides. 
Lay  your  deer  aboard,  crosswise.  Thrust 
a  bight  (a)  of  one  end  through  your  cinch 
ring,  and  pass  the  loop  thus  formed  around 
the  deer's  neck  (Fig.  1).  Repeat  on  the 
other  side,  bringing  the  loop  there  about  his 
haunch.  Cinch  up  the  two  ends  of  the  rope, 
and  tie  them  on  top. 

The  great  point  in  throwing  any  hitch  is 
to  keep  the  rope  taut.  To  do  this,  pay  no 
attention  to  your  free  end,  but  clamp  down 
firmly  the  fast  end  with  your  left  hand 
until  the  right  has  made  the  next  turn. 
Remember  this;  it  is  important.  The  least 
194 


HORSE   PACKS  ~- 

slip  back  of  the  slack  you  have  gained  is     The  Saddle 
going  to  loosen  that  pack  by  ever  so  little; 


The  Saddle  Hitch. 


and  then  you  can  rely  on  the  swing  and 

knocks  of  the  day's  journey  to  do  the  rest. 

The  horse  rubs  under  a  limb  or  against  a 

195 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

How  to  ]^[g  pock;  the  loosened  rope  scrapes  ofif  the 

FragUe  Stuff    top  of  the  pack ;  something  flops  or  rattles 

or  falls — immediately  that  cayuse  arches  his 

back,  lowers  his  head,  and  begins  to  buck. 


Illustrating  How  to  Pack  Eggs  or  Glassware. 

It  is  marvelous  to  what  height  the  bowed 
back  will  send  small  articles  catapult-wise 
into  the  air.  First  go  the  tarpaulin  and 
blankets;  then  the  duffle  bags;  then  one  by 
one  the  contents  of  the  alforjas;  finally, 
after  they  have  been  sufficiently  lightened, 
the  alforjas  themselves  in  an  abandoned 
196 


THE  RESULT  OF  NOT  GETTING  THE 
HITCH  ON  SNUG. 


CAMP    AND    TRAIL 

parabola  of  debauched  delight.  In  the 
meantime  that  horse,  and  all  the  others,  has 
been  running  frantically  all  over  the  rough 
mountains,  through  the  rocks,  ravines,  brush 
and  forest  trees.  You  have  ridden  reck- 
lessly trying  to  round  them  up,  sweating, 
swearing,  praying  to  the  Red  Gods  that 
none  of  those  indispensable  animals  is  going 
to  get  lame  in  this  insane  hippodrome. 
Finally  between  you,  you  have  succeeded 
in  collecting  and  tying  to  trees  all  the  cul- 
prits. Then  you  have  to  trail  inch  by  inch 
along  the  track  of  the  cyclone,  picking  up 
from  where  they  have  fallen,  rolled,  or  been 
trampled,  the  contents  of  that  pack  down  to 
the  smallest.  It  will  take  you  the  rest  of 
the  day;  and  then  you'll  miss  some.  Oh,  it 
pays  to  get  your  hitch  on  snug ! 
^^f  J^*         11.  The   Tie   Hitch.  — The  hitches   de- 

Hitch 

scribed  are  all  I  have  ever  had  occasion  to 
use,  and  will  probably  carry  you  through 
any  emergencies  that  may  be  likely  to  arise. 
But  perhaps  many  times  during  the  day  you 
are  likely  to  want  to  stop  the  train  for  the 
198 


HORSE   PACKS 

purpose  of  some  adjustments.     Therefore 

The  Xio 

you  will  attach  your  lead  ropes  in  a  manner  Hitch 
easily  to  be  thrown  loose.    Thrust  the  bight 
(a)   of  the  lead  rope  beneath  any  part  of 


The  Tie  Hitch. 

the  pack  rope  {bj  b).  Double  back  the 
bight  (d)  of  the  loose  end  (c)  through  the 
loop  {a)  thus  formed.  Tighten  the  knot 
by  pulling  tight  on  loop  d.  A  sharp  pull 
on  c  will  free  the  entire  lead  rope. 


199 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 


CHAPTER   XI 

HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

A  GOOD  riding  mule,  when  you  can  get  jj^igg 
/V  him,  and  provided  you  intend  to  use 
him  only  for  trail  travel  in  the  moun- 
tains, is  about  the  best  proposition.  A  mule 
is  more  sure-footed  than  a  horse,  and  can  sub- 
sist where  a  horse  would  starve.  On  the 
other  hand  he  is  not  much  good  off  a  walk; 
never  acquires  the  horse's  interest  in  getting 
around  stubborn  stock,  and  is  apt  to  be 
mean.  None  of  these  objections,  however 
much  they  may  influence  your  decision  as 
to  saddle  animals,  will  have  any  weight 
against  a  pack  beast.  For  the  latter  pur- 
pose the  mule  is  unexcelled.  But  probably 
in  the  long  run  you  will  prefer  to  ride  a 
horse. 

Burros  are  an  aggravation;  and  yet  in    Burros 
some  circumstances  they  are  hard  to  beat. 
203 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 


They  are  unbelievably  slow,  and  unbeliev- 
Burros  ably  stubborn.     When  they  get  tired — or 

think  they  do — ^they  stop,  and  urging  mere- 
ly confirms  their  decision  to  rest.  You  can- 
not hurry  them.  They  hate  water,  and  it  is 
sometimes  next  to  impossible  to  force  them 
into  a  deep  or  swift  stream.  They  are 
camp  thieves,  and  will  eat  anything  left 
within  their  reach.  Still,  they  can  live  on 
sage-bush,  go  incredible  periods  without 
drinking,  make  their  way  through  country 
impassible  to  any  other  hoofed  animals  ex- 
cepting goats  and  sheep.  Certain  kinds  of 
desert  travel  is  impossible  without  them,  and 
some  sorts  of  high  rough  mountaineering 
is  practicable  only  with  their  aid.  At  times 
you  will  be  driven  to  the  use  of  them.  In 
such  an  emergency  gird  your  soul  with 
patience,  and  try  to  buy  big  ones. 
Pack  Mules  Pack  mules  are  almost  impossible  to  get, 
and  are  generally  very  high  priced.  A  good 
pack  mule  does  not  mean  any  old  mule  that 
comes  along.  The  animal  should  be  rather 
small,  chunkily  built,  gentle  as  to  the  heels 
204 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

and  teeth,  accustomed  to  carrying  and  tak- 
ing care  of  a  pack,  trained  to  follow  the 
saddle  horses,  and  not  inclined  to  stray  from 
camp.  Such  perfection  costs  anywhere 
from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  It  is  worth  the  price  to  one  who 
does  much  packing;  but  as  perfectly  ade- 
quate pack  horses  can  be  had  for  from 
twenty  to  forty  dollars,  and  are  easy  to  find, 
you  will  in  all  likelihood  choose  them. 

Now  I  know  perfectly  well  that  I  can  Choosing 

a  Horse 

tell  you  nothing  about  choosing  a  horse.  If 
you  are  a  New  Englander  you  will  know 
all  about  the  trade ;  if  you  are  a  New  Yorker, 
you  could  give  me  points  on  every  horse  in 
the  ring ;  if  you  are  Middle  West,  you  prob- 
ably have  read  or  worked  or  traded  or  raised 
more  horses  than  I  will  ever  ride.  But  in 
selecting  a  mountain  horse,  his  mere  points 
as  a  physical  specimen  are  often  little  in  his 
favor,  while  glaring  defects  may  concern  his 
usefulness  hardly  at  all. 

Never  mind  at  first  how  the  horse  offered 
for  your  inspection  looks.    Examine  him  for 
205 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

blemishes  later.    You  must  first  discover  if 
he  is  sure-footed  and  courageous.    An  east- 
ern horse  would  not  last  five  minutes  on  a 
„^  ^         western  trail.    A  western  horse,  no  matter 

Western  ' 

Horses  how  accustomed  to  mountain  work,  is  worse 
than  useless  if  subject  to  ordinary  horse- 
panics  at  suddenly  rustling  leaves,  unex- 
pected black  stubs,  and  the  like.  He  must 
attend  to  his  footing,  keep  his  eyes  for  the 
trail,  and  he  wise.  Next  you  must  inquire 
if  this  steadiness  carries  over  into  other 
things.  He  must  stand  when  left  without 
hitching,  and  must  be  easy  to  catch.  Often 
you  will  have  to  dismount  for  the  purpose 
of  clearing  trail,  helping  the  pack  train, 
tightening  ropes,  or  reconnoitering.  At 
such  junctures  iron  hitching  posts  are  not 
always  at  hand.  Nothing  is  more  aggravat- 
ing than  the  necessity  of  searching  every- 
where for  a  place  to  tie,  or  worse,  to  be 
forced  to  chase  down  and  coax  quiet  a  horse 
that  has  promptly  decamped  when  left  for 
a  moment  to  himself.  Nor  does  it  add  to 
your  joy  to  get  up  at  four  for  the  purpose 
206 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

of  making  an  early  start,  only  to  spend  the 
extra  hour  filched  from  sleep  in  an  attempt 
to  catch  some  snorting  fool  horse. 

The  picture  I  have  sketched  looks  to  you 
somewhat  like  what  is  known  as  an  "old 
cow,"  doesn't  it?  But  in  reality  good  horses 
of  the  quality  named  are  not  difficult  to  find. 
Equine  intelligence  is  of  a  higher  grade 
West  than  East,  mainly  because  a  western 
horse  is  all  his  life  thrown  on  his  own  re- 
sources. It  is  perfectly  possible  to  find  a 
horse  both  handsome  and  spirited,  which  will 
nevertheless  permit  himself  to  be  directly 
approached  in  pasture,  and  will  stand  until 
further  orders  on  the  trail. 

But  the  point  is  that  it  is  much  better, 
oh,  infinitely!  to  get  an  "old  cow"  than  a  Cow"  of  a 
horse  without  these  qualities.  The  "old 
cow"  will  carry  you,  and  will  be  there  when 
wanted.  That  is  the  main  thing  in  the 
mountains.  While  as  for  the  other  horse, 
no  matter  how  well  bred  he  is,  how  spirited, 
how  well  gaited,  how  handsome,  how  ap- 
pealing in  every  way  to  a  horseman's  eye — 
207 


An  "Old 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

he  will  be  worse  than  no  horse  if  you  have 
to  keep  your  hands  on  him,  if  he  must  be 
picketed  at  night,  if  he  is  likely  to  shy  on  a 
bad  trail,  if  he  may  refuse  to  tackle  a  rough 
place  or  to  swim  a  river. 
A  Handsome  Of  course  it  is  nice  to  ride  a  good-looking 
Necessary  horse;  but  in  the  mountains  most  emphatic- 
ally "handsome  is  what  handsome  does." 
The  horses  I  now  own  are  fine  animals  and 
fine  mountain  ponies;  but  some  of  the  best 
I  have  ever  ridden,  a  horseman  would  not 
look  at  twice.  On  a  time,  being  under  the 
absolute  necessity  of  getting  a  pack  quickly, 
I  purchased  a  bay  that  I  promptly  named 
Methuselah.  He  was  some  sixteen  years 
old,  badly  stove  forward  by  hard  riding,  and 
not  much  of  a  horse  anyway.  For  three 
months  he  carried  a  pack.  Then  one  day  I 
threw  a  saddle  on  him  to  go  a  short  distance 
on  some  little  errand.  Methuselah,  over- 
joyed, did  his  best.  The  old  horse  was  one 
of  the  best  mountain  saddlers  in  the  outfit. 
He  climbed  surely  and  well ;  he  used  his  head 
in  negotiating  bad  places ;  would  stay  where 
208 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

he  was  put.  The  fact  that  he  was  not  sound 
was  utterly  unimportant,  for  not  once  in  a 
week  was  he  required  to  go  faster  than  a 
walk. 

On  the  other  hand  I  once  owned  a  Bill- 
horse,  mountain-bred  and  raised.  He  was 
a  beautiful  beast,  proud,  high-stepping — 
one  you  would  be  glad  to  be  seen  on.  He 
would  have  been  worth  considerable  money, 
and  would  have  afforded  much  solid  satis- 
faction if  I  had  wanted  him  f oihl  cow  work, 
or  pleasure  riding  in  the  lower  country. 
But  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  catch 
him,  even  hobbled,  without  a  corral.  One 
day  I  saw  him  leap  from  a  stand  and  with 
hobbles  over  a  fence  and  feed  trough.  So 
I  traded  him  for  another,  not  near  so  much 
of  a  horse,  as  a  horse,  but  worth  two  dozen 
Bill-horses. 

One  other  thing  you  must  notice,  and  Gun 
that  is  whether  or  not  the  beast  is  gun  shy.      ^^^^ 
A  great  many  stampede  wildly  at  the  report 
of  firearms.     I  once  owned  a  pack  horse 
named  Sam  Fat,  on  which  for  some  time 
209 


What  One 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

I  congratulated  myself.  He  was  a  heavy 
animal,  and  could  carry  a  tremendous  load; 
and  yet  he  was  sure-footed  and  handled  him- 
self well  on  rough  country.  He  was  gentle 
"Sam  Fat"    and  friendly.    He  took  excellent  care  of  his 

Did 

pack,  and  he  followed  perfectly.  No  one 
needed  to  ride  behind  him  to  keep  Sam  Fat 
coming.  I  used  to  turn  him  loose  when  I 
started,  and  pay  no  more  attention  to  him 
until  I  stopped.  No  matter  how  rich  the 
feed  through  which  we  passed,  Sam  Fat  was 
always  on  hand  when  the  halt  was  called. 
And,  very  important  point,  he  was  a  good 
rustler — ^he  kept  fat  and  sleek  on  poor  food 
where  other  horses  gaunted.  Altogether 
Sam  Fat  was  a  find.  Then  one  day  one  of 
the  party  shot  off  a  harmless  little  twenty- 
two  caliber  popgun.  Sam  Fat  went  crazy. 
He  squatted  flat,  uttered  a  terrified  squeal, 
and  departed  through  the  woods,  banging 
his  pack  against  trees  and  hanging  limbs. 
We  chased  him  a  mile,  and  finally  brought 
him  back,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  day  he  was 
panicky.  I  tried  to  get  him  accustomed  to 
210 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

shooting  by  tying  him  near  our  target  prac- 
tice, but  it  was  no  use.  Finally,  though 
reluctantly,  I  sold  him. 

So  when  the  natives  bring  in  their  horses 
for  your  selection  blind  your  eyes  to  the 
question  of  looks  and  points  until  you  have 
divided  the  offering  into  two  parts — those 
that  are  sure-footed,  courageous,  gentle, 
tractable,  easy  to  catch,  good  grub  rustlers, 
and  if  pack  horses,  those  that  will  follow  and 
will  take  care  of  their  packs,  and  those  that 
lack  one  or  more  of  these  qualifications. 
Discard  the  second  group.  Then  if  the  first 
group  contains  nothing  but  blemished  or 
homely  horses,  make  the  best  of  it,  per- 
fectly sure  that  the  others  might  as  well  not 
exist. 

In  general,  a  horse  just  from  pasture  ^^^  ^*" 
should  have  a  big  belly.  A  small-bellied 
horse  will  prove  to  be  a  poor  feeder,  and 
will  probably  weaken  down  on  a  long  hike. 
The  best  horse  stands  from  fourteen  hands 
to  fourteen  two,  and  is  chunkily  built.  There 
are  exceptions,  both  ways,  to  this  rule.  A 
211 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

pack  horse  is  better  with  low  withers  on 
account  of  the  possibihty  of  sore  backs. 
Avoid  a  horse  whose  ears  hang  sidewise 
from  his  head;  he  is  apt  to  be  stubborn. 
As  for  the  rest,  horse  sense  is  the  same 
everywhere. 
What  a         A   pack  horse   can   carry  two  hundred 

Horse 

Should  pounds — not  more.  Of  course  more  can  be 
^"^  piled  on  him,  and  he  will  stand  up  under  it, 
but  on  a  long  trip  he  will  deteriorate. 
Greater  weights  are  carried  only  in  text 
books,  in  camp-fire  lies,  and  where  a  regular 
pack  route  permits  of  grain  feeding.  A 
good  animal,  with  care,  will  take  two  hun- 
dred successfully  enough,  but  I  personally 
always  pack  much  lighter.  Feed  costs  noth- 
ing, so  it  is  every  bit  as  cheap  to  take  three 
•horses  as  two.  The  only  expense  is  the 
slight  bother  of  packing  an  extra  animal. 
In  return  you  can  travel  farther  and  more 
steadily,  the  chances  of  sore  backs  are  mini- 
mized, your  animals  keep  fat  and  strong,  and 
in  case  one  meets  with  an  accident,  you  can 
still  save  all  your  effects  on  the  other.  For 
212 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

the  last  three  years  I  have  made  it  a  prac-  Sorc  Backs 
tice  to  pack  only  about  a  hundred  to  a 
hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  when  off 
for  a  very  long  trip.  My  animals  have  al- 
ways come  out  fat  and  hearty,  sometimes  in 
marked  contrast  to  those  of  my  companions, 
and  I  have  not  had  a  single  case  of  sore  back. 

The  latter  are  best  treated  by  Bickmore's 
Gall  Cure.  Its  use  does  not  interfere  in  the 
least  with  packing;  and  I  have  never  seen  a 
case  it  did  not  cure  inside  ten  days  or  two 
weeks  if  applied  at  the  beginning  of  the 
trouble. 

In    the    mountains    and    on    grass-feed    How  Far 

A  Horse 

twenty  miles  a  day  is  big  travel.  If  you  should 
push  more  than  that  you  are  living  beyond  ^^*^®^ 
your  income.  It  is  much  better,  if  you  are 
moving  every  day,  to  confine  yourself  to 
jaunts  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  on  an 
average.  Then  if  necessity  arises,  you  have 
something  to  fall  back  on,  and  are  able  to 
make  a  forced  march. 

The  distance  may  seem  very  short  to  you    Mountain 

Travel 

if  you  have  never  traveled  in  the  mountains ; 
213 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

but  as  a  matter  of  fact  you  will  probably 
find  it  quite  sufficient,  both  in  length  of  time 
and  in  variety  of  scenery.  To  cover  it  you 
will  travel  steadily  for  from  six  to  eight 
hours;  and  in  the  diversity  of  country  will 
be  interested  every  step  of  the  way.  In- 
deed so  varied  will  be  the  details  that  it  will 
probably  be  difficult  to  believe  you  have  made 
so  small  a  mileage,  until  you  stop  to  reflect 
that,  climbing  and  resting,  no  horse  can  go 
faster  than  two  or  two  and  one-half  miles 
an  hour. 

Travel  On  the  dcsert  or  the  plains  the  length  of 

your  journey  must  depend  entirely  on  the 
sort  of  feed  you  can  get.  Thirty  miles  a 
day  for  a  long  period  is  all  a  fed-horse  can 
do,  while  twenty  is  plenty  enough  for  an 
animal  depending  on  his  own  foraging. 
Longer  rides  are  not  to  be  considered  in  the 
course  of  regular  travel.  I  once  did  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  in  two  days — and 
then  took  a  rest. 

Travel  ^^  the  mountains  you  must  keep  in  mind 

that  a  horse  must  both  eat  and  rest;  and 
314 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

that  he  will  not  graze  when  frost  is  on  the 
meadows.  Many  otherwise  skillful  moun- 
taineers ride  until  nearly  dark,  and  are  up 
and  off  soon  after  daylight.  They  wonder 
why  their  horses  lose  flesh  and  strength. 
The  truth  is  the  poor  beasts  must  compress 
their  twenty- four  hours  of  sustenance  into 
the  short  noon  stop,  and  the  shorter  evening 
before  the  frost  falls.  It  is  often  much 
wiser  to  get  a  very  early  start,  to  travel  until 
the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  and  then  to  go 
into  camp.  Whatever  inconvenience  and 
discomfort  you  may  suffer  is  more  than 
made  up  for  by  the  opportunities  to  hunt, 
fish,  or  cook  afforded  by  the  early  stop ;  and 
the  time  you  imagine  you  lose  is  regained 
in  the  long  run  by  the  regularity  of  your 
days'  journeys. 

On  the  desert  or  the  plains  where  it  is  hot,  journeying 
to  the  contrary,  you  will  have  better  luck  by 
traveling  early  and  late.  Desert  journey- 
ing is  uncomfortable  anyway,  but  has  its 
compensations.  We  ordinarily  get  under 
way  by  three  in  the  morning;  keep  going 
315 


Desert 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

until  nine ;  start  about  six  again — after  sup- 
per— and  travel  until  nine  of  the  evening. 
Thus  we  take  advantage  of  whatever  cool- 
ness is  possible,  and  see  the  rising  and  the 
falling  of  the  day,  which  is  the  most  wonder- 
ful and  beautiful  of  the  desert's  gifts. 
Climbing  Going  up  stecp  hills  in  high  altitudes  you 
must  breathe  your  horse  every  fifty  feet  or 
so.  It  need  not  be  a  long  rest.  Merely  rein 
him  in  for  eight  or  ten  seconds.  Do  the 
same  thing  always  before  entering  the  nego- 
tiation of  a  bad  place  in  the  trail.  Do  this, 
no  matter  how  fresh  and  eager  your  animal 
may  seem.  Often  it  spells  the  difference 
between  a  stumble  and  a  good  clean  climb. 
An  experienced  pack  horse  will  take  these 
rests  on  his  own  initiative,  stopping  and  also 
starting  again  with  the  regularity  of  clock- 
work.    >  . .»  ^ 

^  It  does  not  hurt  a  horse  to  sweat,  but  if 
ever  he  begins  to  drip  heavily,  and  to  tremble 
in  the  legs,  it  is  getting  time  to  hunt  the 
shade  for  a  rest.  I  realize  that  such  minor 
points  as  these  may  be  perfectly  well  known 
216 


HORSES,   MULES,   BURROS 

to  every  one  likely  to  read  this  book,  and  yet 
I  have  seen  so  many  cases  of  ignorance  of 
them  on  the  trail  that  I  risk  their  inclusion 
here. 

Every  hour  or  so  loosen  the  cinches  of  UnsaddUng 
your  saddle  horse  and  raise  the  saddle  and 
blankets  an  inch  or  so  to  permit  a  current 
of  air  to  pass  through.  Steaming  makes 
the  back  tender.  When  you  unsaddle  him 
or  the  pack  animals,  if  they  are  very  hot, 
leave  the  blankets  across  them  for  a  few 
moments.  A  hot  sun  shining  on  a  sweaty 
back  causes  small  pimples,  which  may  de- 
velop into  sores.  It  is  better  to  bathe  with 
cold  water  the  backs  of  green  horses;  but 
such  a  trouble  is  not  necessary  after  they 
are  hardened. 

Two  more  things  I  will  mention,  though  "^^  ^^^^  ^P 

a  Horse's 

strictly  speaking,  they  do  not  fall  in  the  Feet 
province  of  equipment.  When  you  pick  up 
a  horse's  hind  foot,  face  to  the  rear,  put  the 
hand  nearest  the  horse  firmly  against  his 
flank,  and  use  the  other  to  raise  the  hoof. 
Then  if  he  tries  to  kick,  you  can  hold  him 
217 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

off  sufficiently  to  get  out  of  the  way.  In- 
deed the  very  force  of  his  movement  toward 
you  will  thrust  against  the  hand  on  his  flank 
and  tend  to  throw  you  to  one  side. 
^%^°^*  If  you  are  called  upon  to  mount  a  bad 
Horse  horse,  seize  the  check  piece  of  his  bridle  in 
your  left  hand  and  twist  his  head  sharply 
toward  you.  At  the  same  time  grasp  the 
pommel  in  your  right  hand,  thrust  your  foot 
in  the  stirrup  and  swing  aboard.  Never 
get  on  any  western  horse  as  an  easterner 
mounts — left  hand  on  pommel  and  right 
hand  on  cantle.  If  a  horse  plunges  for- 
ward to  buck  while  you  are  in  this  position, 
you  will  inevitably  land  back  of  the  saddle. 
Then  he  has  a  fine  leverage  to  throw  you 
about  forty  feet.  A  bad  pack  horse  you 
can  handle  by  blindfolding.  Anchor  things 
for  a  storm,  take  off  the  bandage,  and  stand 
one  side. 


218 


CANOES 


I 


CHAPTER   XII 

CANOES 

I  SUPPOSE  I  have  paddled  about  every 
sort  of  craft  in  use,  and  have  found 
good  qualities  in  all.  Now  that  I  am 
called  upon  to  pick  out  one  of  them  and  label 
it  as  the  best,  even  for  a  specific  purpose,  I 
must  confess  myself  puzzled  as  to  a  choice. 
Perhaps  the  best  way  would  be  to  describe 
the  different  sorts  of  canoe  in  common  use, 
detail  their  advantages,  tell  what  I  consider 
the  best  of  each  kind,  and  leave  the  choice  to 
your  own  taste  or  the  circumstances  in  which 
you  may  find  yourself. 

Practicable  canoes  are  made  of  birch  bark  Kinds  of 
stretched  over  light  frames;  of  cedar;  of  ^^^^ 
basswood;  of  canvas,  and  of  canvas  cover 
over  stiff  frames. 

The  birch  bark  canoe  has  several  unassail-  The  Birch 
able  advantages.     It  is  light;  it  carries  a     ^'^    • 
greater  weight  in  proportion  to  its  length 
221 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

than  any  other;  it  is  very  easily  mended. 
On  the  other  hand  it  is  not  nearly  so  fast  as 
a  wooden  canoe  of  sweeter  lines;  does  not 
bear  transportation  so  well;  is  more  easily 
punctured;  and  does  not  handle  so  readily 
in  a  heavy  wind.     These  advantages  and 

Advantages 

and  Disad-  disadvantages,  as  you  can  see,  balance 
vantages  against  One  another.  If  it  tends  to  veer  in 
a  heavy  wind  more  than  the  wooden  canoe,  it 
is  lighter  on  portage.  If  more  fragile,  it  is 
very  easily  mended.  If  it  is  not  quite  so 
fast,  it  carries  more  duffle.  Altogether,  it  is 
a  very  satisfactory  all-around  craft  in  which 
I  have  paddled  many  hundreds  of  miles,  and 
with  which  I  have  never  been  seriously  dis- 
satisfied. If  I  were  to  repeat  some  long  ex- 
plorations in  the  absolute  wilds  of  Canada 
I  should  choose  a  birch  canoe,  if  only  for  the 
reason  that  no  matter  how  badly  I  might 
smash  it,  the  materials  are  always  at  hand 
for  repairs.  A  strip  of  bark  from  the  near- 
est birch  tree;  a  wad  of  gum  from  the  next 
spruce;  some  spruce  roots;  a  little  lard  and 
a  knife  will  mend  a  canoe  stove  in  utterly. 
232 


CANOES 

In  selecting  a  birch  bark  canoe  the  most 


Selection 


important  thing  to  look  after  is  to  see  that  <>*  a  Birch 
the  bottom  is  all  one  piece  without  project- 
ing knots  or  mended  cracks.  Many  canoes 
have  bottoms  made  of  two  pieces.  These 
when  grounded  almost  invariably  spring 
aleak  at  the  seam,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
it  takes  very  little  to  scrape  off  the  slightly 
projecting  gum.  On  the  other  hand,  a  bot- 
tom of  one  good  piece  of  bark  will  stand  an 
extraordinary  amount  of  raking  and  bump- 
ing without  being  any  the  worse.  If  in 
addition  you  can  get  hold  of  one  made  of 
the  winter  cut  of  bark,  the  outside  shell  will 
be  as  good  as  possible.  Try  to  purchase  a 
new  canoe.  Should  this  be  impossible,  look 
well  to  the  watap,  or  roots,  used  in  the 
sewing,  that  they  are  not  frayed  or  burst. 
The  frames  should  lie  so  close  together 
as  fairly  to  touch.  Such  a  canoe,  "two 
fathoms,"  will  carry  two  men  and  four  hun- 
dred pounds  besides.  It  will  weigh  about 
fifty  to  seventy  pounds,  and  should  cost  new 
from  six  to  eight  dollars. 
223 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

Cedar  and  ^  wooden  canoe,  of  some  sort,  is  perhaps 
Basflwood  better  for  all  smooth  and  open-water  sail- 
ing, and  all  short  trips  nearer  home.  It  will 
stand  a  great  deal  of  jamming  about,  but  is 
very  difficult  to  mend  if  ever  you  do  punch 
a  hole  in  it.  You  will  need  to  buy  a  longer 
craft  than  when  getting  a  birch.  The  latter 
will  run  from  twelve  to  fourteen  feet.  A 
wood  canoe  of  that  length  would  float  gun- 
whale  awash  at  half  you  would  wish  to  carry. 
Seventeen  or  eighteen  feet  is  small  enough 
for  two  men,  although  I  have  cruised  in 
smaller.  Cedar  is  the  lighter  material — 
and  the  more  expensive — but  splits  too  read- 
ily. Basswood  is  heavier,  but  is  cheaper  and 
tougher. 
^^^  The  folding  canvas  boat  is  an  abomina- 

Foiding     tion.    It  is  useful  only  as  a  craft  from  which 

Canvas 

to  fish  in  an  inaccessible  spot.     Sooner  or 

later  it  sags  and  gives,  and  so  becomes  logy. 

Canvas         ^  canoe  is  made,  however,  and  much  used 

Covered    by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  exactly  on 

the  frame  of  a  birch  bark,  but  covered  with 

tightly  stretched  and  painted  canvas.     It  is 

234 


CANOES 

a  first-rate  craft,  combining  an  approach  to 
the  lightness  of  the  birch  bark  with  the 
sweeter  lines  of  the  wooden  canoe.  All  ordi- 
nary small  tears  in  its  bottom  are  easily- 
patched  by  the  gum  method.  Its  only  in- 
feriority to  the  birch  rests  in  the  facts  that  it 
is  more  easily  torn;  that  a  major  accident, 
such  as  the  smashing  of  an  entire  bow,  can- 
not be  as  readily  mended;  and  that  it  will 
not  carry  quite  so  great  a  weight.  All  in 
all,  however,  it  is  a  good  and  serviceable 
canoe. 

In  portaging,  I  have  always  had  pretty  Portaging 
good  luck  with  the  primitive  Indian  fash- 
ion— the  two  paddles  lengthwise  across  the 
thwarts  and  resting  on  the  shoulders,  with 
perhaps  a  sweater  or  other  padding  to  re- 
lieve the  pressure.  It  is  possible,  however, 
to  buy  cushions  which  just  fit,  and  on  which 
you  can  kneel  while  paddling,  and  also  a 
regular  harness  to  distribute  the  weight.  I 
should  think  they  might  be  very  good,  and 
would  certainly  be  no  trouble  to  carry.  Only 
that  makes  one  more  thing  to  look  after, 
225 


Paddles 


CAMP   AND   TRAIL 

and  the  job  can  perfectly  well  be  done  with- 
out. 

The  Indian  paddle  is  a  very  long  and 
very  narrow  blade,  just  as  long  as  the  height 
of  its  wielder.  For  use  in  swift  and  some- 
what shallow  water,  where  often  the  paddle 
must  be  thrust  violently  against  the  bottom 
or  a  rock,  this  form  is  undoubtedly  the  best. 
In  more  open,  or  smoother  water,  however, 
the  broader  and  shorter  blade  is  better, 
though  even  in  the  latter  case  it  is  well  to 
select  one  of  medium  length.  Otherwise  you 
will  find  yourself,  in  a  heavy  sea,  sometimes 
reaching  rather  frantically  down  toward  the 
water.  Whatever  its  length,  attach  it  to  the 
thwart  nearest  you  by  a  light  strong  line. 
Then  if  you  should  go  overboard  you  will 
retain  control  of  your  craft.  I  once  swam 
over  a  mile  before  I  was  able  to  overtake  a 
light  canoe  carried  forward  by  a  lively  wind. 

On  any  trip  wherein  you  may  have  to  worK 

Poles        your  way  back  against  the  current,  you  must 

carry  an  iron  "shoe"  to  fit  on  a  setting  pole. 

Any  blacksmith  can  make  you  one.     Have 

226 


Setting 


CANOES 


it  constructed  with  nail  holes.  Then  when 
you  want  a  setting  pole,  you  can  cut  one  in 
the  woods,  and  nail  to  it  your  iron  shoe. 

The  harness  for  packs  is  varied  enough, 
but  the  principle  remains  simple.  A  light 
pack  will  hang  well  enough  from  the  shoul- 
ders, but  when  any  weight  is  to  be  negotiated 
you  must  call  into  play  the  powerful  mus- 
cles lying  along  the  neck.  Therefore,  in 
general,  an  ordinary  knapsack  will  answer 
very  well  for  packs  up  to  say  thirty  pounds. 
Get  the  straps  broad  and  soft ;  see  that  they 
are  both  sewed  and  riveted. 

When,  however,  your  pack  mounts  to 
above  thirty  pounds  you  will  need  some  sort 
of  strap  to  pass  across  the  top  of  your  head. 
This  is  known  as  a  tumpline,  and  consists 
of  a  band  of  leather  to  cross  the  head,  and 
two  long  thongs  to  secure  the  pack.  The 
blanket  or  similar  cloth  is  spread,  the  thongs 
laid  lengthwise  about  a  foot  from  either 
edge,  and  the  blanket  folded  inward  and 
across  the  thongs.  The  things  to  be  carried 
are  laid  on  the  end  of  the  blanket  toward  the 
227 


Knapsacks 


Tumplines 


CAMP   AND    TRAIL 

head  piece.     The  other  end  of  the  blanket, 
from  the  folds  of  which  the  ends  of  the 
thongs  are  protruding,  is  then  laid  up  over 
How  to  the  pile.     The  ends  of  the  thongs  are  then 

pulled    tight,    tied    together,    and    passed 
around  the  middle  of  the  pack.     To  carry 


Tum'plines. 

this  outfit  with  any  degree  of  comfort,  be 
sure  to  get  it  low,  fairly  in  the  small  of  the 
back  or  even  just  above  the  hips.  A  com- 
pact and  heavy  artide,  such  as  a  sack  of 
flour,  is  a  much  simpler  matter.  The  thongs 
are  tied  together  at  a  suitable  distance.  One 
side  of  the  loop  thus  formed  goes  around 
228 


CANOES 

your  head,  and  the  other  around  the  sack  of 
flour.     It  will  not  slip. 

By  far  the  best  and  most  comfortable  Pack 

Harnesses 

pack  outfit  I  have  used  is  a  combination  of  the 
shoulder  and  the  head  methods.  It  consists 
of  shoulder  harness  like  that  used  on  knap- 
sacks, with  two  long  straps  and  buckles  to 
pass  around  and  secure  any  load.  A  tump- 
line  is  attached  to  the  top  of  the  knapsack 
straps.  I  have  carried  in  this  contrivance 
over  a  hundred  pounds  without  discomfort. 
Suitable  adjustment  of  the  headstrap  will 
permit  you  to  relieve  alternately  your  neck 
and  shoulders.  Heavy  or  rather  compact 
articles  can  be  included  in  the  straps,  while 
the  bulkier  affairs  will  rest  very  well  on  top 
of  the  pack.  It  is  made  by  Abercrombie  & 
Fitch,  and  costs  two  dollars  and  seventy-five 
cents. 


-329 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Agate  Ware,  98 
Alertness,  10 
Aluminum,  98 
Aparejos,  156 
Axes,  92 

Bacon,  118 

How  to  Cook,  136 
Bags,  Duffle,  72 

Food,  105 

Saddle,  153 
Bakers,  102 

Dutch  Oven,  102 

Reflector,  103 
Baking  Powder,  120 
Basswood  Canoes,  224 
Beans,  124 

How  to  Cook,  143 
Birch  Bark  Canoes,  221 
Biscuits,  137 

How  to  Make,  137 
Blankets,  Saddle,  153 

How  to  Use,  87 

Rubber,  87 
Boots,  50 

Waterproof,  50 

Rubber,  52 

The  Putman,  51,  52 

The  Cutter,  51 
Bread,  136 

Corn,  137 

How  to  Make,  136 

Unleavened,  137 
Bridles,  153 
Britten  Fire  Irons.  107 
Britten  Saddle  Rigging,  168 
Bucking  Hitch,  184 
Burros,  203 
Butter,  124 


Canned  Goods,  125 

Corn,  126 

Peas,  126 

Tomatoes,  126 

Fruits,  126 

Salmon,  126 

Picnic  Stuff,  126 

Corned  Beef,  127 

Eggs,  127 
Canoes,  221 

Birch  Bark,  221 

Cedar,  224 

Basswood,  224 

Canvas,  224 

How  to  Portage,  225 

Paddles,  226 

Poles,  226 
Canvas  Canoe,  224 
Cedar  Canoe,  224 
Cereals,  121 
Chaparejos,  57 
Cinches,  157 
Cinch  Hooks,  163 
Coats,  23,  24;  37 
Coffee,  120 

How  to  Make,  141 
Compasses,  67 
Compressed  Soups,  128-130 
Condiments,  123 
Cookery,  Secret  of  Camp,  135 
Cooking  Materials,  97 

Tin,  97 

Sheet  Iron,  98 

Agate  Ware,  98 

Iron,  98 

Aluminum,  98 
Cornmeal,  118 
Corn,  Canned,  126 

How  to  Cook,  143 


233 


INDEX 


Corn  Beef,  Canned,  126 
Cornbread,  137 
Corn  Pone,  How  to  Make,  138 
Cottoleue,  121 

Diamond  Hitch,  174 
Dingbats,  Patent,  27 
Direction,  Sense  of,  3 
Discipline,  11 

Horrible  Example  of  Lack  of, 
12 
Dried  Fruits,  122 
Duffle  Bags,  72 
Dutch  Oven,  102 

Eggs,  Canned,  127 

How  to  Pack,  196 
Ehmination,  24 
Erbswurst,  128 
Essentials,  25 

Fire  Arms,  106 
Fire  Inspirator,  108 

How  to  Use,  109 
Flapjohn,  How  to  Make,  138 
Flour,  118 

Pancake,  118 

Boston  Brown  Bread,  118 
Fly  Dopes,  75 
Food  Bags,  105 

Food,  Necessity  of  Variety,  115 
Footwear,  The  Ideal,  46 
Fruit.  Dried,  122 

Canned,  126 

Gauntlets,  58 
Gloves,  57 


Hitches — Continued 

The  Single  Diamond,  174 

The  Double  Diamond,  180 

The  Square,  182 

The  Bucking,  184 

The  Miner's,  185 

The  Lone  Packer,  187 

The  Squaw,  190 

The  Sling,  192 

The  Saddle,  194 

The  Tie,  198 
Hobbles,  164 

Should  be  Lined,  165 

Side  Lines,  166 

How  to  Make,  166 
Hobnails,  47-50 
Horses,  How  to  Choose,  205 

Gun  Shyness  of,  209 

Qualifications  of,  211 

What  They  Should  Carry,  212 

How  Far  to  Travel,  214 

When  Hill  Climbing,  216 

Unsaddling  of,  217 

How  to  Pick  up  Feet  of,  217 

How  to  Mount  Bad,  218 
Horse  Outfits,  149 
Horse  Packs,  169 

The  Philosophy  of,  170 

The  Top,  172 

Inspirator,  Logan  Fire,  108 

How  to  Use,  109 
Iron  Cooking  Materials,  98 
Irons,  Fire,  106 

The  Britten  Fire,  107 

Jam  Hitch,  172 


Ham.  118 
Hardtack,  124 

How  to  Cook,  143 
Harness  Pack,  229 
Hatchets,  91 
Hats,  35 

The  Stetson,  36 
Hitches,  172 

The  Jam,  172 

The  Diamond,  174 


Kerchiefs,  37 
Khaki,  44 
Knapsacks  227 
Kyacks,  160 

Rawhide,  161 

Canvas,  161 

How  to  Pack,  171 


Lanterns,  91 
Lard,  121 


234 


INDEX 


Lash  Ropes,  162 
Logan  Fire  Inspirator,  106 
Lone  Packer  Hitch,  187 
Luxuries,  116,  117 

Macaroni,  125 

How  to  Cook,  143 
Matches,  63 
Match  Safes,  64 
Medicines,  74 
Milk,  123 

Powder,  123 
Miner's  Hitch,  185 
Moccasins,  47 

Deerhide,  54 

Moosehide,  54 

Shoe  Pac,  54 
Mules,  Riding,  203 

Pack,  204 
Mush,  How  to  Make,  142 


Ponchos,  56 

Potatoes,  120 

Puddings,  How  to  Make,  138 

Quilts,  88 
Quirts,  153 

Razors,  74 

To  Keep  from  Rusting,  74 
Reflectors,  103 
Repair  Kit,  92 
Revolvers,  70 
Riata,  Rawhide,  154 
Rice,  119 
Rifles,  68 

Rigging,  Saddle,  157 
Ropes,  Lash,  162 

Picket,  163 

Mexican  Grass,  154 
Rubber  Blankets,  52 


Olive  Oil,  121 
Onions,  120 
Outfits,  Horse,  149 

Pack,  155 
Outfits,  Made-up,  100 

Two-man,  101 
Overalls,  43 
Oven,  Dutch,  102 
Overburdening,  23 

Pack  Harness,  229 
Packs,  Horse,  169 

Top  Horse,  172 
Pack  Outfits,  155 

Saddles,  155 
Pack-rig  Saddle,  159 
Paddles,  226 
Pads,  Saddle,  156 
Pails,  89 

Pantasote  Coats,  55 
Patent  Dingbats,  27 
Peas,  Canned,  126 
Picket  Ropes,  163 
Picnic  Stuff,  Canned,  126 
Pillows,  89 
Pistols.  69 
Poles,  Canoe,  226 


Sacks,  45 
Saddle  Bags,  153 

Blankets,  153 
Saddle  Hitch,  194 

Bags,  153 

Pads,  157 

Rigging,  157 

Rigging  Britten,  158 

Pack  Rig,  159 
Saddles,  Pack,  155 

Riding,  149 

Sawbuck,  150 
Salmon,  Canned,  126 
Scabbards,  154 

Sheet  Iron  Cooking  Materials,  98 
Shirts,  39 

Buckskin,  38 
Shoe  Pac,  53 
Shot  Guns,  71 
Sleeping  Bags,  87 
Slickers,  56 
Slings,  192 
Sling  Shot,  153 
Soap,  Towels,  etc.,  110 
Soups,  Compressed,  128-130 

Erbswurst,  128 
Spurs,  154 


235 


INDEX 


Square  Hitch,  182 
Squaw  Hitch,  190 
Stirrups,  151 
Stirrup  Leathers,  150 
Sugar,  120 

Tablets,  121 
Syrup,  123 
Sweaters,  38 

Table  Utensils.  99 

Tapioca,  119 

Tarpaulins,  85 

Tea.  120 

Tents,  79 

Proper  Shape  for,  82 
"A"  or  Wedge,  84 

Thoroughness,  Importance  of, 

Tie  Hitch,  198 


Tin  Cooking  Materials,  97 
Toilet  Articles,  73 
Tomatoes.  126 
Towels,  Soap,  etc.,  110 
Trousers,  43 
Tump  Lines,  227 

Underclothes,  40 

Jaeger,  42 

Should  be  Wool,  41 
Utensils  for  Table,  99 

Waistcoats,  54 
Washing,  How  to  Do,  42 
Wash  Basins,  90 

Tubs,  90 
Waterproofs,  55 
Woodcraft,  Logic  of,  30 


236 


14  DAY  USE 

MTURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHigSJRORKOWBD 


I 


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